Descendant: Revelations
by Courage of Awesome
Summary: Callisto, a descendant of the first Van Helsing. She was a taboo, something that was never meant to happen. She hunts the supernatural with no mercy, but when she is sent to a parallel world by a sorcerer, will a strange werewolf and his even stranger pack help her see that not all supernatural are bad? MORE INFO INSIDE. AU LinkxOC
1. Chapter 1

**Thank you for selecting this new story of mine. I'm actually taking a huge gamble with this because I want it to surpass the Heroes series I made prior to this. This is an AU story filled with OCs as usual; however, I'm doing something a little different. Though, it is not a direct crossover, I will be using things in relevance to the Van Helsing movie starring Hugh Jackman. And the world the story starts in is not our own, but one very similar to it; parallel if you will.**

 **Now before you begin to read, please read this first so you have some basic understanding. If you haven't seen it, I strongly suggest finding the movie and watching it. It's really very good. Now, for those who have seen it, remember how Van Helsing was infected with the curse of the werewolf and was, in turn, "cured?" Well, my friend Demon She-Wolf and myself have speculated that the curse acts like a virus. You can treat the symptoms, but you can never get rid of it completely. Therefore, we theorize Van Helsing still had traces of werewolf-ism and passed it down to future generations.**

 **Also, in this story there are somewhat modern appliances such as the early guns, trains, running water, etc. Things of that era. Think of a century or two after Van Helsing. Modern, but not extremely so as of today's extent.**

 **Thank you for reading this information. I do not own Zelda. Please, enjoy Descendant: Revelations.**

* * *

It was raining that day too. The day my father was buried in the cemetery of the exiles. It seemed that not even in death he was welcomed.

Today was different, though. It rained for an entirely different reason. Today was the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the Order; the day when over a thousand of the supernatural were put down by the hands of the Order. It always rained on this day.

I walked swiftly down the main corridor and to the office of Order General Crams Hales; the leader of the Order. I pushed open the cherry wood doors and saluted upon my entry. "Sir!"

Order General Hales stood, his hands resting on his desk. "You have a lot of nerve coming in here, Black Blood. What is the meaning of this?" he questioned, gray hair falling over pale blue eyes.

"Sir, with all due respect, I may not be an official member of the Order, but I am a willing volunteer. I ask of you to allow me to accompany my commanding officer, Colonel Maximus Cato, into the field today," I requested.

Hales raised a bushy eyebrow at me. "And why should I grant this outrageous wish?"

"I have information that an unknown and very powerful sorcerer has been seen in the area Colonel Cato wishes to investigate. Please, allow me to escort him."

"I will allow you to do as you please, Black Blood, but know this. If anything happens to Cato, I will hold you personally responsible and I will send the Hounds of Hell after you, or rather the people of our country. They will enjoy destroying an abomination like yourself," Hales explained clearly.

I saluted. "Understood, sir!" I dismissed myself, retreating down the very same corridor as before, all the while cursing my heritage. Damn my mother and her practices. It was because of her that I was treated the way I was. I hated her for it.

"Callisto! Callisto, wait!"

With a sigh, I stopped and raked a pale hand through wild, raven hair. "What is it, Markus?" I asked the young Staff Sergeant. He was also my only friend in the Order; a pitiful friend, but a friend nevertheless.

He stopped before me and blushed. "I… uh… snuck this out of weaponry for you." I was handed a standard pistol. Just as I was about to question it, Markus continued. "The bullets are… uh… filled with the extract of rosemary. It's a sign of remembrance and it keeps evil spirits away."

I smirked and leaned down to look at Markus. "Oh, no, Markus. I want evil spirits to be attracted to me. That way I can protect all of you. It is my job, after all. But, I will accept your gift with great honor. Perhaps it will come in handy someday." I straightened up. "I'll see you around, Markus. Thanks again." I walked away, taking the first step in a long journey.

* * *

The men of my family were fools. The supernatural seemed to have an undying affinity with them, and they were all affected one way or another. The first Van Helsing, Gabriel, was a Hunter of the original Order. He was probably the most powerful Hunter of all time. Then the fool went and got bit by a werewolf and got its blood inside of him, permanently changing him. It was rumored that his first love, cured him at the cost of her own life, but everyone knew that wasn't true. Once infected, always infected. It acted like a virus, and you could treat the symptoms, but it would always remain.

That virus was passed down through generation after generation of Van Helsings, never ending. And even though it was considerably weakened as it spread throughout the family, those affected by it the most always had noticeable differences. Usually it was unearthly strength, speed, agility, etc, but some were cursed with the yellow eyes of a wolf as well. I was one of the unlucky ones.

This setback in our lineage could have been overlooked to some extent, but when my father committed the unthinkable, it brought our prior shame to light and amplified it. My father was considered an outcast, an exile, and was dismissed of his rank as General. He was bound to his home, and was driven mad. His last words were spoken to me, but were not for me. I was six at the time, but I can still remember everything he said. "I'm sorry, Sarah. I understand." Those words were addressed to my mother, the reason for my abuse. Father died soon after, and no one came to his funeral but me.

"A coin for your thoughts?" came a voice.

I looked up and stared directly into the jade of eyes of Colonel Cato. "Do you honestly care, sir?"

Cato smiled with that debonair charm. "Of course I care. I care about all my subordinates, abominations or not. They're the ones that will take me to the top. I owe it to them."

I frowned and pulled at the thick braid at the left side of my head lightly. I did this often due to pent up energy. My body was like a bomb ready to go off. I could not sit still for long. "You don't have to lie to me, sir. No one cares for me, but my father and Markus, and one of them is dead because of it."

"So this is about your father?" the colonel concluded. My eyes widened. How had he deduced that? "Callisto, no matter what you think, I do care about you. Please, tell me about your father, about General Van Helsing."

I remained silent until I finally sighed. "We don't have time for semantics and reminiscing. Look there, sir. We've arrived."

Cato looked out the window to the train we currently rode in. It was true what I said. We were close to arriving at the city of Alta. It was on the horizon now, the city lights a beacon in the dark.

"You are right," Colonel Cato sighed. He rose from his seat. "Come on, Callisto. Time to track a sorcerer."

* * *

Colonel Cato and I rushed down the streets, the rain pouring down from above. The sorcerer had finally slipped up and revealed himself. It wouldn't be long before he was either in our custody or dead.

My waist cape, brandishing the Order's marks, flapped wildly in the wind and my sabre and pistol clinked against my belt. How much longer would we have to run. Where was that damned sorcerer?

"Callisto, head west, I'll head east. We'll meet up at the cathedral," Colonel Cato ordered.

"Roger." I changed directions in the blink of an eye, quickening my pace. If only is wasn't raining, I could put these cursed abilities to use and track him by scent. "Sorcerer!" I yelled spinning around, thunder booming in the distance. "Where are you?! Come out, coward!"

As expected, I received no answer. And to make matters worse, it was getting hard to see. Pulling my goggles down over my eyes, I peered through the darkness. But even while using my superb night vision, I could barely see my own hand in front of my face. The sound of chanting suddenly drew my attention. Could that be the sorcerer?

Running towards the chanting, I grew increasingly aware that it was coming from the cemetery outside the cathedral… how cliché. In fact, if I knew any better, I'd say it was coming from _inside_ the cathedral. Slamming the doors open, I stepped into the abandoned cathedral, a wave of dusty air rushing to meet me. I coughed.

"It seems I've been discovered."

I drew my pistol and aimed across from me in as little time as it took to snap. Directly in my line of sight was the sorcerer. He was pale and his eyes were a burning red, a strange tattoo under one of them. Long, lavender hair spilled out from underneath a violet cap and down matching robes. "I suggest you come peacefully. My superiors would have my head if I killed you meaninglessly. You are to be questioned as to what you are doing here. Understand?"

The sorcerer let out a long, drawn out sigh. "I honestly have no intention of going anywhere with you. I just wish to return to my own world… to my home."

"Your world?" I questioned. Glancing down, I noticed the transmutation circle drawn on the floor. What game was this guy playing?

"Yes, my world. The truth is, I'm not from here at all. I come from another world entirely, a parallel world, if you will. The two are very similar," my target explained.

I clenched my teeth. "I'm afraid you're not going back to your world anytime soon. I have direct orders to either apprehend you or kill you. It's time to choose."

"Very well," the sorcerer groaned. "Put away your gun and use that magic relic, so we can have ourselves a proper duel."

"No way!" I hissed. "I am determined not to use this cursed 'magic weapon' as you call it. I am a woman of science, I will not resort to using magic."

A light, cocky laugh came from within the sorcerer. "A witch who won't use magic! That's quite funny! You say you're a woman of science, but magic and science go hand in hand. Where do you think your precious science came from?"

"Shut up! I am not a witch! I will not use magic!"

"Ah," the sorcerer held up a finger, "but you are half of one… and a little… wolf it seems." At my stunned face, the sorcerer laughed again. "You cannot hide from me and my magic eyes, little wolf-witch. Now, duel me or let me return home."

I was half tempted to remove the rose from the strap around my neck and use its magic to fight the cocky sorcerer. However, the sound of the door opening stopped me. "So that's what you are," Colonel Cato's voice resonated throughout the church. "A witch and of course a wolf."

I growled. "That's right! Now you know why I am called Black Blood. Not only was an ancestor of mine infected by a werewolf, but I am to unholy spawn of a tabooed union! I was born of a human man and a witch!"

Cato sighed long and hard. "That doesn't matter. The only thing I'm concerned with is protecting the human race. I don't care if your human, witch, werewolf, or some nymph named Nelly. That is not a concern of mine."

Surprised, my eyes widened. "What? Really? Do you mean that, sir?"

"I don't hate, Callisto. Not anyone, but there's no time to talk of this now. We have a mission to complete."

I nodded, focused once again. "Right." Turning back to the sorcerer, I watched in irritation as he examined his fingernails.

"Oh, you're done speaking now?" he questioned, snarky. Sneering, I fired my pistol the bullet embedding itself into the sorcerer's shoulder. The sorcerer stumbled backwards, shocked. "You actually shot me! Ha! I'm surprised at you, girl! But you can't stop me," he said, holding his shoulder, stemming the blood flow. "It's already too late." Clapping his hands together, the sorcerer slammed his hands down into the transmutation circle, a bright, blue glow coming from the lines. A huge swirling vortex appeared above.

"What have you done?!" Cato shouted at him.

"I'm going home! I can go home!" the sorcerer shouted gleefully. He turned to us and laughed. "Remember this, hunters! Today's the day you almost caught the Wind Mage Vaati!"

A loud growl erupted from my chest, and I launched myself at the sorcerer. "Hiyah!" I shouted, tackling Vaati to the ground. We landed on the ground roughly and rolled, punching and slapping at each other. The circle must've gotten smeared, for a the once blue light turned red.

"You fool!" Vaati shouted at me. "You've messed up the circle and the temporal vortex! Who knows what'll happen!"

The swirling vortex's speed suddenly increased and the wind picked up. The stained glass of the windows shattered and harsh rain came spilling in, lightening flashing and giving the cathedral and eerie glow. Suddenly, my feet left the ground.

"Agh!" I yelled in alarm.

"Callisto!" Cato shouted. He ran towards me, reaching out. As things started to fly around and get sucked into the vortex, Cato tried desperately to get to me. "Grab my hand!" he commanded.

I struggled, almost swimming against the wind current. It was hopeless! "I can't!" I screamed. I felt my feet being pulled into the vortex. It was over. "Agh!"

My world went dark.

* * *

It was bright. Blindingly so.

Sitting up, I groaned. "Ugh, what happened?" I grumbled. "Where am I?" I certainly wasn't in the cathedral, though it sure looked like it. No wait. It looked more like a giant castle.

I stood up and collected my bearings, readjusting my sabre and pistol on my belt. Reaching into the pouch at my thigh, I pulled out my new bullets supplied to me by Markus and began loading my pistol. Who knew what was in here, and I was not taking any chances.

I cocked the gun and held it close, creeping throughout the white room. And when I say white, I mean white. There was white marble, white stone, white brick; the only color was the red rug, the windows depicting strange looking characters, and a strange stone table. I approached it cautiously.

"Here lies the Master Sword," the table read.

I turned in circles. "Sword? I don't see any Master Sword." Looking towards a huge stone door, I stopped. "Perhaps it's behind there." I placed my hands on the door and pushed, the door sliding open. And there is was, a greatsword was resting in a stone pedestal. "Bingo."

The sword was a bluish-purple, green wrapping up its handle. A large, yellow gem was embedded in the hilt. A silvery glow seemed to surround the blade. It was an impressive sword. And now that I was done taking the tour of this place, I needed to find a way out.

As I searched, the sound of a window sliding open drew my attention. I ducked behind a pillar and peeked out and up the towering part of the room. A window was open and a rope was sliding down! Just what was going on?

* * *

 **I hope you guys liked that. Before I write anymore chapters; however, I'm going to finish at least one or two of my other stories. I just wanted to see how you guys liked this.**

 **Please, rate and review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, so I'm updating early. Sue me.**

 **I must say, I'm less than impressed with the** ** _lack_** **of reviews concerning the first chapter… C'mon guys! You guys are killing me! I used to get up to ten reviews per chapter. Now, I barely get three. You can do better than that… It doesn't take much effort to review…**

 **Anyway, I figured I'd update this a little earlier since I haven't finished one of my other stories yet… (Shrugs) Whatcha gonna do?**

 **I don't own Zelda… or Van Helsing as mentioned in chapter one. Enjoy.**

* * *

I stared up into the towering room, interested, my yellow eyes deducing why there was a rope being lowered into the room. I could come up with only one answer: a thief.

Pressing myself further into the shadow of the pillar, I waited. My ears picked up a tune of sorts. Whistling. Someone was whistling. The rope swayed as weight was put on it at the top. Someone was sliding down it. Finally.

A body came into view, lean and muscular; tall and definitely male. I could see dark, golden hair, wild and untamed, pulled into a short and low ponytail. Then the man turned, and I was met with endless blue. His eyes were so unbelievably blue, a shade unlike anything else. I would go as far as to say they invented the color blue. Needless to say, my breath hitched and I became trapped in their gaze. Thank goodness this frequency was one-way.

Shaking my head, clearing my thoughts of attraction for this stranger, I refocused. _Get it together, Callisto,_ I scolded myself. Having refocused, I noticed the sword strapped across this guy's back and the dagger beside his adventuring pouch on his belt. The worn marks on the hilts of both weapons showed that this man was well skilled in their use and knew how to hold himself in battle.

I decided to continue to observe. _Just_ observe.

The man looked around the room with discerning eyes. "What to do? What to take? Find something now before it's too late," he said softly to himself, his voice smooth. His tone told me he wasn't too old, but that he wasn't an adolescent in the least. I would say he was somewhere around twenty years of age. Maybe.

He walked around the room, running his long fingers over various things, the rest of his hand covered by a gauntlet, probably leather. I watched in fascination as he calculated the value of each object he touched with just his fingers and his eyes. He was an _experienced_ thief, it seemed.

This strange man then walked up to the center of the room, his eyes locked with the sword. I almost felt… nervous that he was going to take it. Why was I nervous? The sword didn't have any value with me. Once again, the man ran his fingers up the sword from the blade to the tip of the hilt. "Beautiful," he whispered, grasping the handle. He gave a gentle tug, the blade sliding out of its pedestal. The room seemed to glow brighter as he did so, it was almost eerie in a way. With a smile, the thief shook his head and slid the sword back down into the stone. "Nope, the Master Sword is still a little too valuable for my blood. The guards would really have a reason to hunt me if I stole that." He looked around the room. "Something less valuable…" he mumbled under his breath.

 _Less_ valuable? What kind of a thief was he? Usually, thieves went for the most expensive thing, right?

The thief seemed to dance around the room, laughing in joy. I was starting think this guy was a little less than sane. Finally, his eyes landed and stayed firmly on a vase encrusted with gems. "Ah, this seems about right. They've got plenty of these. One won't be missed," he said, grabbing the vase by one of its handles and tying it to his belt. He looked around the room again, his grin widening. "Of course, filling the thing with a little bonus wouldn't hurt either," he figured, chipping away at the gold embedded into the wall. "Just a little." He placed the chunk of gold that came off into the vase, sighing in satisfaction. "Now time to make my escape."

That's when realization hit me. I could've been using my senses to find out more about this mystery in front of me. As the thief walked back to his rope, I inhaled deeply, literally tasting the scents of the forest on my tongue besides the man's personal scent. Cinnamon, pine trees, and was that the very wind and rain I was smelling? My mouth watered in delight. However, there was an underlying scent thrown into the mix. Wolf. Now this was my business.

I drew my sabre and bolted from my hiding spot, my boots clicking against the marble. I dug the tip of my blade into the back of the thief. "Stop," I ordered.

The muscular back my blade was pointed at tensed in apprehension. "Oh, I've been caught at last. I was wondering when you'd come out of hiding." The thief turned around to face me, and I was once again met with an endless blue. "But tell me," he continued, "when did they start allowing females into the guard."

"Still your tongue, werewolf," I snapped. "Who are you? Where am I?"

He smirked. "Perceptive girl. But how can I ever hope to answer your questions if you wish me to refrain from talking, hmm?"

My rage continued to boil, my face heating up. I was probably red faced by now. "You know what I meant!"

The strange man laughed., a deep rolling laugh. "Yes, yes," he shrugged, walking towards the rope again. He gripped it with one hand and hoisted himself up onto it, swinging around. "Welcome to the Kingdom of Hyrule! I am Link, notorious thief and notoriously handsome! But alas, I am not going to play tour guide, for I have some business to conduct." He saluted cockily before climbing up the rope.

My eyebrow twitched in annoyance and I huffed. "Looks like I'm going to need a little extra incentive if I hope to get any answers out of you."

Link looked down at me again, halfway up the rope. "What? What do you mean?" Instead of answering him directly, I smirked, flashing him a little bit of fang. I lifted my sword to the side, pointing it at one of the many other vases in the room. Link's eyes widened. "What do you think you're doing?"

I thrusted out with my sword, tipping the vase over, wincing as it shattered against the ground. "Oops," I shrugged cockily.

"You fool! Now we're both going to get caught! You'll be sent straight to the dungeon!"

My smirk fell. Now I remember why stealth was important… Damn. There went me without thinking again.

Sheathing my sword, I ran for the rope, grasping it firmly in my hand before I began to climb. I had gotten maybe a quarter of the way when the large doors at the entrance to this place swung open, guards swarming inside. "Halt!" they demanded.

My pace increased rapidly. I just kept staring up at the window, my escape. That's when I noticed Link bent over the rope, having reached the top, his dagger in hand. "Sorry, stranger, but it's for the greater good that I escape this," he said. I glanced back down and saw the guards climbing up the rope behind me. I instantly knew what was happening. Link was going to cut the rope. "Sorry," he said again, slicing through the braided rope.

"No!" I yelled as I started to fall. Instinctively and against my better judgement, I ripped the magic relic away from my neck, the rose, and flung it out towards the window as I gripped the stem almost painfully. Out of the stem itself, a large vine shot forth and wrapped itself around the hook the rope had been tied to, acting as a grappling hook. The vine then began to retract, pulling me up. "Dammit," I swore. I hadn't wanted to even look at this relic let alone use it. Not when it held a connection to my magical side and to my mother.

The magic relic in my hand was called The Forming Rose. The rose could take the shape of almost any tool, weapon, or do most anything. It was a useful thing to have, but I was dead set against using it. For some reason, though, I couldn't seem to get rid of the thing. It was annoying how undecided I was!

Finally reaching the window, I pulled myself up and out of it and onto the roof, the rose unlatching itself and retracting the rest of the way. I reluctantly clipped it back to the leather choker around my neck, and sighed. Now, where did Link go? I really had no choice but to follow him. After all, I had no idea where I was.

I spotted said thief out of the corner of my eye, bounding over and across rooftops. Ooh, he was good. I dashed off after time, my boots sound weird against the shingled rooftops.

"Stop following me!" Link yelled from in front of me as I got close to him, matching his speed.

"Not a chance!"

He groaned. "You're making a mistake!" he yelled. "You would have been safer with the guards!"

I laughed. "Ha! Me? Safe? I hunt the supernatural scum of the earth for a living! Nothing I do is safe!"

Link stopped abruptly and he whirled around to face me. I literally had to do all that I could to stop without running into him. "Y-You're a hunter?" he asked, bewildered, his wild eyes wide. "You would hunt your own kind? Even the innocent?"

I sneered. "I have no kind. I'm a taboo. And there are no innocent supernatural."

The werewolf thief growled at me dangerously, glaring at me. I suddenly found myself laying on my back and staring up at the sky as Link made his way further and further from me. He actually sweeped my legs out from under me! Getting on my hands and knees, I attempted to get up only to trip and knock my chin on the roof. I turned over and looked down at my legs. They were tied! Damn, that werewolf was fast!

I broke through my bonds with a dagger hidden inside my boot and continued the chase. During my little fall, Link had managed to gain quite a bit of ground and I had lost him. He was nowhere in sight. I needed to think. _Where would a wanted thief head to escape?_

The sound of neighing horses keyed me in and I took off again in that direction. I made it just in time to see a huge, red mare barrel through the stables and through the streets, heading for the gates a little ways down. On the back of the horse was Link, wrapped up in a cloak, but I could tell it was him thanks to werewolf abilities.

Just as he passed below me, I leapt from the rooftops and onto the back of the mare, right behind Link. We swayed to the side from the force of my jump, the horse throwing its weight to try and regain balance.

"What are you doing?!" Link yelled, turning slightly to look at me. "Are you crazy?!"

"Yup."

"I'm not getting rid of you, am I?"

"Nope," I confirmed, wrapping my arms around him.

Link groaned, tightening his hold on the reins. "Fine. Hold on tight." He kicked the strong mare in the sides with his heels. "Hyah!"

If it was possible, the red mare quickened her pace, whizzing through the streets and out of the gate. This was probably the fastest horse, I'd ever seen. It felt like we were flying. Unconsciously, I tightened my hold on Link. I did not want to fall off.

We raced out of whatever city this was and into the fields. "So where are we heading?"

Link turned and smirked at me from under the hood of his cloak. "Now if I told you that, I'd have to kill you." He turned back to the front and spurred the mare onwards and into a long canyon. The canyon was so narrow, if it was any narrower, the walls would be brushing against our legs. Link looked over his shoulder. "Keep your head down."

"Why?"

"Just do it!" he hissed through clenched teeth.

I rolled my eyes but did as he asked, burying my face into his back. Just this once. Who knows, if I did as he asked, I might actually get some answers.

Link finally halted the horse in front of a small, isolated hut. We were literally in the middle of nowhere. Who would be crazy enough to live here? The land was barren and there were no plants, or even animals.

Getting off the horse, Link pulled his cloak further over his face. "I'll be back shortly. Stay on the horse."

"Fine." I watched as the werewolf headed off into the hut, a noticeable bulge under his cloak where the vase was tied to his belt. Was he going to pawn it off? Was this a black market pawn shop? Ooh, the blackmail potential!

My suspicions were confirmed when the werewolf returned, the vase gone and replaced by a sack of what I could only assume was money. He walked up to me, practically giddy. "Ah, what is that lovely smell, stranger?" He reached in the sack and pulled out a strange red gem. "Why, it's Cold. Hard. Cash."

I snatched the red jewel from his hands. "What is this? You pawned off jewels and gold to get _more_ jewels?"

Link scoffed. "You are a foreigner. This is our currency here. Rupees! And they make the kingdom go round." He mounted the horse and spurred us off, barely giving me enough time to secure myself to his back.

"If gems are your currency, why pawn off the others?" I asked against his back.

"It's our currency. What else can I say? Government law."

"Yeah, that's rich coming from a _thief!_ "

Link didn't retort. And I wasn't about to make him. So we both settled for an uncomfortable silence, riding off to wherever we were going. And with as little as I knew about this place, who knew where that was?

* * *

The campfire warmed the area nicely and it gave it a gentle glow. It was perfect for the fight against the cold night. And we even had food, supplied by Link. Of course, it was only dried and salted meat, but it was better than nothing.

I watched as said thief, stroked the big mare's snout, whispering words to her. "So is that your horse, or did you steal her?"

Link laughed. "She's my horse. I've had her since I was young." He suddenly turned serious. "Just because I steal doesn't mean I like to do it or that I have no morals. I could've easily stolen that sword in the temple, but I didn't."

"Yeah, but you stole priceless jewels and gold."

His eyes narrowed at me. "Look, I like money as much as the next person, but I'm not going to go out of my way to get it. I'm not a terrible person." He sighed heavily. "So stranger, are you ever going to tell me your name? I find it only fair since I told you mine, let you come with me, and shared my food with you."

I huffed in aggravation . "Callisto. Callisto Van Helsing."

"Well then, Callisto Van Helsing… what about you? How did you get to this wonderful kingdom of Hyrule?" Link asked.

My mind whirled, my memories of the previous night coming back to me in a flash. I gripped my head tightly, the pain overtaking me. "I remember chasing this sorcerer with my superior officer, Colonel Cato."

"Chasing a sorcerer?"

"He had been causing a public panic, sending the masses in a frenzy. He was so strange, claiming that he wasn't from our world. He… he created a transmutation circle, but during confrontation, something… something went wrong. I was sucked into the vortex and Colonel Cato tried to save me and—what happened to the colonel?!" I exclaimed.

"Hey, shh, shh. It's okay," Link assured me, holding onto my shoulders. "I'm not exactly sure what you're talking about, but there's been no report of any of this. Maybe your suffering from amnesia or delusion."

Glaring at the werewolf, I shook off his hold. "I am not crazy! You are the one who's crazy! I mean, where is this place anyway?! I've never even heard of Hyru—I got sent to another world—another dimension! That crackpot sorcerer wasn't out of his mind!"

Link stared at me blankly. "You need help."

"I don't need help!" I yelled, standing up. "I was really sucked into an alternate dimension! What else it explains it! I mean, this world is whacked up as it is! The supernatural is everywhere! My senses are going wild, I don't know how everyone doesn't know!"

"Oh, the humans know."

I froze, slowly turning slowly to face Link. "What?"

"Yeah, they know. Hyrule was the first kingdom to be united by supernatural, Hylian, and the other races. Our princess is actually a nymph." I blanked. Link laughed at my expression. "Wow, you're really not from here, are you?"

"That's what I've been saying! How is it possible, though?"

Link shrugged. "Perseverance. Good will. Unity. Ask your parents, they should know what I'm talking about."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I mean it's obvious your half witch half human. And apparently one of your ancestors was a werewolf. You're a descendant of a rather mixed heritage."

I blew up. "I didn't ask to be like this! I'm ashamed of myself every time I look in the mirror… I don't want to be reminded of the failures of my family; the failure that is me." I looked away, tears in my eyes. "My family was filled of proud hunters. We've been degraded and thrown through the mud with every mistake we've made. We've been made outcasts. No one came to my father's funeral, for he was an exile. I was born out of a taboo relationship."

"Taboo?"

I nodded solemnly. "Where I come from, the supernatural are basically the scum of the earth. Evil and deceitful. It's a hunter's job to either apprehend or exterminate them. My father was one of the best hunters the Order had, and it looked like our family name was being respected again. Then he went and fell in love… with a witch." I breathed, my breath ragged. "I'm labeled as Black Blood."

Link's eyebrows furrowed and he eased me down, sitting beside me. "Callisto, not all supernatural are evil heathens."

My eyes widened. "You just robbed a temple!"

"Will you drop it?! I'm actually trying to help you for some reason!" he huffed. "Goddesses! Look not everyone is like… _that!_ The supernatural are just like human beings and any other thing. There are bad ones, but there are good ones too. We have souls. You're proof enough. You're a hunter of the supernatural and you're a supernatural! While that may not be a good thing… you made your own choice."

Bringing his fingers up to his mouth, Link whistled. The big mare came walking up happily. Link met her with open arms. "Hey, girl." He pointed at me. "This is Callisto Van Helsing," he said, smiling. "She's a new friend." I smiled in return. "And she's got a lot of problems."

My jaw dropped and I laughed hard; it was one of those full, belly laughs that spread amongst everyone like a contagion. Link soon joined me, holding his stomach in an attempt to stifle his laughter. Despite how different we were and our beliefs, somehow we had formed a bond in the last couple of hours. How bizarre.

Getting a hold on himself, Link extinguished the fire and gathered up the stuff. He refastened everything to his saddlebags. "Ah, break time is over." He climbed up into the saddle and looked down at me. "Well, are you coming?" he asked me.

I looked up confused. "You want me to come with you?"

He shrugged. "Sure. I mean you've crashed my party already. Might as well finish the job." He held out his hand.

Smiling, I took it. Nothing would ever be the same again.

* * *

My head lolled against Link's back as we rode. I was so tired. How much further was this place we were going to?

"We're here," Link suddenly said. "The forgotten village of Oki."

"Forgotten? Why is it forgotten?" I questioned.

He looked crestfallen. "This village was rumored to have been destroyed. And because of that, it lost the support of the government. This is why I steal. I steal, so these people can leave and survive."

Maybe I had Link pegged all wrong.

* * *

 **That's the end of that chapter. I hope you liked it and could deal with all the angst and such.**

 **Anyway, so as you may have heard from another story of mine, it has been announced that Zelda Wii U will not be released by 2016. Boo. Sorry for that bit of sour info.**

 **Please, vote on the poll I have on my profile to support one of my other stories. And, please rate and review, but please check my new reviewing policy on my profile. Reviews are love!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, guys. Should I even keep writing this? You guys don't even seem that into it… I mean… reviews have been lackluster. I've literally gotten two for each chapter… that's very depressing… (sighs) It's like no one cares anymore. No one tries to review or comment or whatever anymore. It's just view and done. WHERE'S THE PASSION?!**

 **Anyway, let me know if this is even worth it or whatever… because at this point, I don't care if it's criticism, critiques, or a nice little review saying that I'm awesome… (I really like that last one)**

 **I do not own Zelda or Van Helsing. Thanks.**

* * *

The clip clop of Epona's hooves were noticeably loud in the quiet, little village of Oki. They seemed to be deafening. Where was everyone? Weren't there people that was supposed to live here?

"It's okay, everyone!" Link suddenly called out, making me jump. "You can come out now! This girl is a friend!"

It was silent for a moment longer before heads started to peek their way out of doors and windows one by one. They all seemed to be so timid and scared. What made them like this? I voiced my concerns to Link.

"They were attacked a few weeks ago by a monster that could change shape. And before you go off saying it was a supernatural, it wasn't. We have actual monsters here too. The particular monster that attacked them a few weeks ago was what we call a Smogling."

"A Smogling?"

Link rubbed his forehead. "Smogling were once normal people, except that they had an insatiable thirst for bloodlust and chaos. Basically, they were psycho. These particular people were so terrible that not even Paradise or Hell would take them. They were forced to stay here, taking the form of smoky shadows. They usually take the form of their old body."

I gulped, tugging on my braid. "So what happened here exactly?"

"A Smogling took the form of a small girl and killed five people before my brother and I could eliminate it. I would hate to see how a little girl that small and young became a psycho killer."

My mind whirled. _These Smogling creatures sound like trouble… Did Link just say he had a brother? I wonder what he's like._ I chose to let to comment slide. If I was staying here for the time being, I would most likely meet him anyway. For now, I had to focus on quelling the urge to draw my blade and gun. There were quite a few supernatural living here, not as many as the humans, but still a few.

"Link!" childish voices sang.

With a smile, said man dismounted from Epona just in time for children to launch themselves at him. He laughed as they latched onto his muscular arms to be swung around in circles. Three out of the four children were supernatural. I could tell from their individual scents and from their unique features.

The only girl out of the bunch, a young, auburn headed thing with millions of freckles, was no doubt some sort of magic user. I could literally taste the energy coming from her in waves.

Two of the boys appeared to be brothers. From as far as I could tell they were both demons of the animal variety. And judging from their ears and tails, I would assume cats. The older one was covered in dirt and mud, looking rough around the edges, while his younger brother, obviously the more mature one, was clean as a whistle. In fact, he looked embarrassed to be caught doing something so childish when Link set him down.

The last boy, a blondie, was undoubtedly human and a shy one at that. As soon as his feet were planted firmly on the ground, he lost his previous spunk as his eyes met my own. He was behind a woman in an instant, looking around at me from behind her skirts with wide blue eyes. I waved lightly, chuckling as the boy hid again.

Catching something from the corner of my eye as I dismounted Epona, I looked up to see a large and hefty man heading my way. His bald head shined in the dim lighting, his white mustache the only hair on his face. He squinted at me, assessing my strange appearance and how I held myself. "And who might you be, lass?" he asked.

Link jumped directly into my line of sight, his back to me. "Uh, this is my friend Callisto. I, uh, met her in town."

"Yes, yes," the man nodded. "I'm sure you did. Now, the little lady has a mouth. Why doesn't she tell us herself… in private, if she has to." The big man turned around and began walking to the furthest house from the group. "Follow me," he called.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Link began to follow, motioning for me to do the same. The big man was downwind, so as a gentle breeze blew by, I was able to get a whiff of another supernatural scent. This guy was a shifter; a wer, but of what kind I didn't know.

As we entered the house, the large man sat us down at the table. "Now, tell me, lass. How did you meet our thief here?"

Link and I both froze at the statement. Somehow he had successfully suspected that I met Link on one of his "jobs." Was he psychic? "Um, well, I woke up in a place that I didn't recognize and was in a tough spot and I kind of followed Link, if you will." I intentionally left out certain key parts.

"And that's all?"

"Y-Yes."

The big man huffed, turning to Link. "Why don't you tell me what really happened?"

Link tensed in his seat. "Mayor Bo, I-I don't know what to tell you."

This Mayor Bo stood up and walked around the table to place his hand on Link's shoulder. "Link, you told me you'd stop stealing from the nobles. You gave me your word; a man's word. Yet here you are, having just returned from a loot, woman in tow. Where did you get her? Off the streets? From a bar?"

Did he—No, this was not happening. Slamming my palms on the table, cracking the wood, I stood up rapidly. "Excuse me, Mayor Bo, but I believe you owe me an apology! I will not be talked to as if I was a common red lighter! I did tell you the truth, by the way, or at least some of it. I really did wake up not knowing where I was. So I'll be hearing that apology now." The hulking man just stared at me, unable to take in everything. I sighed and drew my pistol, aiming it at the man. "Don't say that I wasn't polite. I asked, yet I'm still waiting. And patience is not a virtue that I possess."

Link's eyes widened and he lunged, slamming my arm back down to my side. "I don't know how you do things where you're from, but this is not how we ask for things."

I laughed. "Relax… I was just messing around. It's not even loaded." I opened up the gun and showed him the empty cartridges. "I wasn't even going to pull the trigger… I'm not that cruel. I was just having some fun, but I guess I learned my lesson." I messed up.

Mayor Bo raised his hand slightly. "It's fine. She's a foreigner after all, right? She was just having a little fun. And I am sorry for referring to you in such a derogatory way, Miss Callisto."

I nodded, accepting his apology, but it wasn't fine. My actions were deplorable. I was ashamed that I let things get that heated. Despite my cold and calm exterior, I was boiling inside when I was talked about in that way… but I didn't know how to express my feelings, so I reacted the only way I knew how.

To kill.

The board of directors at the Order referred to it as an instinct. I had two violent and volatile natures residing within me despite the human half. One of them loved bloodshed while the other one enjoyed a good trick. It was a dangerous combination to have. The only reason I haven't hurt anyone yet was that human side of me reeling my emotions in. The title Black Blood fit me well.

"Excuse me," I said, suddenly heading for the door.

"Where are you going, Miss Callisto?" the mayor asked me.

I looked over my shoulder and smiled. "Oh, just to get some fresh air." The lie rolled off my tongue with practiced ease. It wasn't hard to lie, yet it was also the hardest thing to do. Why?

Stepping out of the house, I started heading in the direction I came from, ignoring the looks of caution the other villagers gave me. I was leaving this place. There was nothing for me here, and I was only causing trouble. My actions from earlier were enough proof of that. However, as I crossed the threshold of the village, exiting its borders, a heavy weight seemed to settle on my shoulders. What was this feeling? Guilt, perhaps?

My mind flashed to an image of a disappointed Link. Yeah, right. What reason would he have for being disappointed? Me leaving? I think not.

Continuing on my way, I ventured back into the forest. I was unsure of where I was going, but I needed answers. If only I knew that some of those answers were back in Oki.

* * *

A generous amount of sweat poured down my face as I walked through the muggy forest. Sometime during my departure, a strange fog had settled in over the area, and I couldn't recognize my left from my right, let alone my surroundings. Nothing looked familiar.

Was I lost?

The further and further I walked, the dizzier and dizzier I would become. It was strange, in all honesty. I've never had this problem before. What was happening to me? My body suddenly swayed as the lightheadedness increased. The next thing I was aware of was placing my foot down too hard to regain balance and having the ground give way. I was sent tumbling down a steep cliff.

I cried out in pain each time my body made contact with the hard surface. Rocks tumbled down with me, digging into my back and following on top of me. I finally stopped, slamming hard into my side. I instantly knew something was wrong at that moment. Namely the root that I had landed on, sticking through my right shoulder.

The air seemed to escape me, leaving me gasping for breath. "Ugh!" Reaching over, I grabbed at the root, my fingers slipping from the blood coating it. When I finally managed to get a firm grip on it, I broke off the end protruding from my shoulder, choking on the pain. I sat up quickly, screaming as I pulled my shoulder off of the room. "Dammit!" I swore.

I panted as blood streamed out of my shoulder. I needed to stem the flow. Ripping the bottom of my shirt sleeve, I did my best to wrap it around the wound and ignore the awkward way my right leg jutted out. It was broke. Great.

Looking around with blurry eyes, I noticed two branches cast aside on the ground. They would have to do. Pulling myself towards them, I propped myself up and braced for another round of pain. After all, I had to reset my leg before my advanced healing kicked in while it was still out of place. It wasn't as good as a normal supernatural's healing, but it was definitely better than a human's. I'd heal in about a day or two.

I grabbed my leg firmly, hissing at the pain already setting in. I snapped it back into place, clenching my teeth together so tightly I thought they would break under the pressure, but my leg was set once again. Now I just had to brace it with the two sticks. I'd use the rest of my sleeve to tie them to my leg.

Looking at my work, I sighed. This would have to do for now.

I dragged my damaged body over to a tree and leaned against it. I needed to rest before trying anything else. My body wouldn't make it otherwise. So I closed my eyes and let myself be carried to dreamland.

* * *

"Oi, oi! Are you dead, girly?" Someone kicked my splinted leg lightly, and I groaned, turning over. "Huh. Guess not."

I blinked my eyes rapidly, trying to make them clear up so I could see the person above me. It was too dark. _It must be nighttime, and this fog isn't helping,_ I guessed as I wasn't able to even make out a face. Groaning again, I struggled to roll over to my left slightly. I reached down towards my right hip and snapped my pistol up out of its holster, pointing it at the stranger. "Who are you? What do you want? If you're here to rob me, you're wasting your time."

The silhouette of the man jumped back and held his hands up. "Whoa, whoa! You got me all wrong, girly!"

I narrowed my eyes, trying to focus. I was so tired still. "You've got two minutes. Start talking," I ordered.

"Uh," the man began, not off to a great start. "I was just wandering through here; traveling. That's when I stumbled upon you. I sure never expected to see a girl here. It looks like you've had a rough time."

I coughed. "Where are you heading?"

The man scratched his head. "To my village. It's not too far from here."

If he was heading to his village, they could treat me there. However, I just held this guy at gunpoint, I doubted he'd willingly take me. When did this become a hostage situation?

"Name?"

"Dark."

I struggled to rise to my feet, grabbing this Dark's arm to help pull myself up. I then pressed my gun to his side. "Well, Dark. I'm going to have to ask you to take me to your village. Let's go."

Dark nodded and for a moment, I could've sword I saw the gleam of crimson eyes staring back at me. Perhaps it was a trick of the faint moonlight actually managing to stream through the trees. Or perhaps it was because all of the blood loss. However, I didn't have time to think about that.

The mysterious Dark helped me up onto his horse before sitting in front of me. I rested my head on his back, my gun digging into it. Unfortunately for me, I was fading fast. I couldn't stay awake. I had one last coherent thought.

 _I wonder where his village is._

* * *

 **So that was the end of that chapter. I really hope you guys will start reviewing more. I could use the encouragement on all my stories.**

 **Now, let me just say this. Yes, Callisto is crazy as heck. She will get better.**

 **Anyway, please rate and review and vote on the poll on my profile. Write me a nice review here at the bottom of this page in the review box… It doesn't even have to be all that nice. Just review please.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Oh, Callisto… you crazy, crazy girl. What have you done?**

 **Callisto: Whatever it is, you made me do it.**

 **I did not!**

 **Callisto: You're the author!**

 **… Touché. You remind me of a mixture of two or three people.**

 **Callisto: Really? Who?**

 **My friends. A bit of Demon She-Wolf, a bit of JellyBellyQueen, and of another friend who is not a member of this cite.**

 **Anyway, let's see what Crazy Callisto does this chapter, shall we?**

 **Callisto: I AM NOT CRAZY!**

 **I don't own Zelda! Or Van Helsing. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Is she alive?"

"Is she alive? She held me at gunpoint for a majority of the ride! I consider that alive!"

I groaned as the volume of the voices increased. Didn't these people understand that I was in pain? Why were they yelling.

"See? She's alive," the second voice said.

My eyes parted before slamming shut at the harsh light. "Ugh, ngh. Wh-Where am I?" I opened my eyes again, expecting the light this time, and sat up. I was met with a somewhat familiar face, yet I knew I had never seen it before. The man in front of me was fair-skinned with jet black hair and ruby eyes. All unfamiliar attributes, but his face… "Do I know you?"

"Yeah, I'm the man you held at gunpoint. I'm Dark, remember now?" he said snippily.

I chuckled. "Heh, oh yeah." Looking at him again, I made a face. "You sure do look like someone else I know, though."

"That would be me."

Facing the direction of the voice, I threw my head back and groaned. "No." I looked back and groaned again. "You've got to be kidding me?"

"Nope," Link shook his head, walking off.

My head snapped back to Dark. "You're from Oki?" I asked, glaring.

He nodded. "Technically speaking."

I pointed back to Link, now standing at what appeared to be a kitchen. "And your this one's brother, I presume?"

"Technically speaking," Dark said again.

"What does that even mean?" Neither one of them answered. It seems they were still cross with me for one, leaving and two, taking the other hostage. Surprisingly, I didn't blame them. Glancing back at Dark, I sighed. "Thanks for saving me back there in the forest."

"Not like I had a choice."

I winced. "Yeah. I'm sorry about that too. I wasn't sure if you'd help me or not. The place I come from isn't this nice."

Dark gave me a strange look, a finely shaped eyebrow arched. He frowned at me. "What are you talking about? Are you from one of the neighboring nations?" I shook my head. "Then where?"

"Callisto isn't from this world, Dark," Link finally spoke up.

"What? That's impossible."

Link shook his head, wiping the kitchen knife in his hand off with a rag. "Not if you're a magic wielder."

Dark's eyes widened as he gaped at me. "You can use magic?"

"Some, but that's not what we're talking about. I was hunt—seeking out a sorcerer in my world and he was making a portal to go home and it messed up. My commanding officer and I were sucked in with him."

He shook his head in disbelief. "It's amazing that you can even use magic at all and that you met a sorcerer. I'm jealous."

I was confused, and my head cocked to the side. "Why do you say that? Magic users are a nuisance."

"How could you say that?" Dark asked, appalled. "Magic users are so rare here."

"Not in my world. They're like a plague."

"Why are you saying it like that?"

"She's a hunter, Dark," Link spoke up. "She's a hunter of the supernatural. She hunts people like us and herself and kills them."

He was still upset with me. Boy, could he hold a grudge. "I don't necessarily kill them. I can just apprehend them." It was no use. I couldn't explain my way out of this one. I could see the distrust and fear in Dark's eyes… not that he trusted me in the first place. I sighed. "Look, I'm not explaining myself again. If you want the story I told Link, ask him." I stood up and tested my leg. It was almost healed. "I'm getting some fresh air."

I hobbled out of what I assumed was Link's house only to discover that it was in a tree. With a huff, I sat down on the ledge and looked out into the distance. I could see the rest of the village from here. It was peaceful.

"How's your shoulder and leg?"

I saw Dark sit down beside me. "They're… okay. Almost healed."

"Incredible."

"What? Why is it incredible? I'm sure you heal fast as well."

Dark shook his head. "I'm not technically a werewolf."

"What? But you're Link's brother."

"Like I said before, I'm technically Link's brother, but not really." I had no idea what he meant. He wasn't making any sense at all. "I'm a shadow; a demon really. I'm a mirror replica of Link."

My mouth hung wide. "How?"

"Our natural forms are almost ethereal in reality, but since it's not physical and we are essentially shadows, we cannot survive in the light. There is another race out there somewhere similar, but with physical forms. They are the Twili," Dark explained. "In spite of the danger, I came up from where we shadow demons lived and was immediately immobilized by the light of the sun. Link found me on one of his heists and he saved me." He laughed lightly. "Ironically, my ethereal form had shrunken down so much, I was able to fit in a jar and hide in his cloak."

"So how did you survive?" I inquired.

"I fed off of Link's blood." I blanched, and Dark laughed some more. "It was a lot less gross than it sounds. Link gave me an physical form by offering his blood to me. The genetic coding in his blood fused with me and I was able to form a body. And because it was Link's blood, I took on his appearance more or less."

"And you say I'm amazing. There's nothing like you guys where I come from," I said. From all of Dark's scientific talk, he was a lot smarter than I initially gave him credit for.

"Speaking of which, Link told me your story. It must've been hard for you growing up."

I nodded. "Yeah, nothing out of the normal is really accepted in my world. If you're different, you're an outcast. If you're a taboo lifeform like me, you're an outcast used by the Order as a display of power to keep the peace."

"Is it really peace you're keeping? Couldn't it be tyranny? I mean, you've seen quite a few supernatural creatures now and we all live pretty simple lives. Are we really that bad that we have to be taken in or killed?" Dark questioned.

I grew silent. Was the Order really keeping the peace or were we just enforcing oppressive tactics? I thought back to mission after mission, remembering all the supernatural I had killed or captured. A lot of them were doing terrible things… a lot of them weren't, though. What was the truth? Were they the true monsters or was the Order?

"I don't know anymore," I finally answered. "Everything is so confusing to me right now." With a sigh, I looked to my injured shoulder and started to unwrap it. The injury was mostly healed. The only thing that remained was a faint scar and even that would be gone soon. My leg was about the same.

I heard the door to the house open and closed and watched as Link joined Dark and me on the ledge. "I see you two haven't killed each other."

I stifled a laugh. "No, but that does remind me of something. I'm sorry for leaving." I looked to Dark. "And I'm sorry for holding you hostage. I kind of have a loaded gun complex; shoot first ask questions later."

Dark shook his head and smiled, showing off fangs. "It's all right. At one point in time, I would have done the same thing. The only difference is that you wouldn't be sitting here like I am. I would have killed you without a second glance, unfortunately. Luckily, this guy got a hold of me and set me straight."

"That's funny. A thief teaching a demon to be good."

"Hey!" Link interjected. "I don't kill people. Just monsters. I'm a good thief."

"So do you have, like, a cover story?" I asked Link. "You know to protect yourself."

He nodded. "Yes, it started off as a hobby actually. I'm a photographer."

"Really?"

"Yup, and I always carry my pictobox with me." I ignored the pictobox comment. It must've been the Hylian version of the camera. "So do you have a cover story?"

"Nope, my name is feared all over my world. I'm Black Blood, taboo child and destroyer of souls… well, according to the media anyway. What about you, Dark? What do you do?"

"Ha!" he exclaimed. "I don't have a secret job. No, I prefer to be a black market seller full time."

"Huh," I noted. "And the princess lets you get away with this?"

He nodded. "It's not like I sell anything illegal. I prefer the rarities of the world. Sure, they're discovered by less than conventional and innocent means, but they're certainly not illegal." Dark stroked his chin. "In fact, you can actually thank Link for the princess letting us get away with all this."

Link shrugged. "You save someone's life, even by accident, and they're eternally grateful, it seems."

"What? How did that happen?"

"Well, I broke into the castle one night and apparently so had an assassin. He was hell bent on murdering the princess, but for some reason I decided to expose myself and intervene. Now, she turns a blind eye to what I do every once and a while. She sometimes even sends funds to this place ever since she found out who I was. Secretly of course."

"Why secretly?" I wondered.

"Like I explained before, Oki is long forgotten. It's not even supposed to exist anymore. There would be an uproar if the public found out it was still here. Princess Zelda wants to reintroduce it, but the council won't let her. She's basically just a symbol of the monarchy."

An idea suddenly came to mind. "Do you think this princess of yours would have any idea of Colonel Cato's whereabouts?"

Link and Dark both shrugged. "Perhaps. Nothing really escapes her eyes and ears."

I stood up quickly. "That's where I'm headed then." I moved to go back into the house to gather up my things.

"I'm coming too," Link said, standing up.

"Me too!" Dark joined in.

Shaking my head, I held up my hands. I was about to say no when I saw the looks on their faces. It was obvious they wouldn't accept no for an answer. "All right then," I agreed, smiling. "Let's get this show on the road then."

* * *

"Sixty four bottles of ale on the wall… sixty four bottles of ale! You take one down and pass it around. Sixty three bottles of ale on the wall!"

Rubbing my forehead with my fingers, I turned around from behind Link on top of Epona to glare at Dark who was behind us on his horse. "Really, Dark, the song should have stopped at one hundred," I said.

His eyebrows knitted together and he cocked his head in confusion. "But that's where it starts," he protested.

"Exactly. If you have ale, you don't share it."

"Hmph! Well, sorry that I'm bored. What the heck do you sing about when you're bored?" Dark asked snippily.

"We don't," I answered, turning back around. I tapped Link on the shoulder. "So when you guys said that magic users are rare here, what did you mean by that?"

Link thought about it for a moment before answering. "Exactly that. We actually don't have very many magic users here. The ones we know about are usually kept with the nobles like animals, slaves really. The ones that the government don't know about are either rebels or on the run."

"Why are they so rare?'

"A long time ago, Hyrule was at war with another country and we used the magic users to our advantage. Most of them were slaughtered in the war. Now, if there are any magic users, they are taken away from their homes at a young age to be raised in a specially created compound. I'm not even sure they're considered people anymore after that," he explained.

I didn't answer. I didn't know what to think about that. It seemed this world was just as bad off as my word despite being one step ahead of us when coming to the supernatural. "So how are we getting into the castle since you're a wanted thief and Dark is a black market dealer?" I asked, changing the subject.

Link turned his head, craning back to look at me. "That is actually easier than you may think. You see, I have friends in many places. They are my pack, so to speak. One of its members just happens to be a member of the castle guard, and _she_ is the only female guard, so she is highly spoken for. It'll be like stealing right from under their noses."

I laughed and shrugged my shoulders. "Well, and you would know all about that, so I'm going to trust you on this. Just make sure I don't end up on the chopping block."

The werewolf laughed with me. "Yeah, okay."

As we calmed down, our laughter dying, a peaceful silence settled over us. It was then ruined instantly. "Sixty three bottles of ale on the wall…"

"Dark!"

* * *

 **Who is this friend Link is talking about? I wonder…**

 **Random Person: Is it an actual character?**

 **What is this "actual character" you speak of. Of course, it's an OC. Demon She-Wolf would kill me if I partnered Dark up with any "actual character." After all, she's a sometimes shipper. Sometimes she ships it, sometimes she doesn't, so why take the chance?**

 **Anyway, keep an eye out for two Fierce Deity stories. One is a spin off story for my Isle of Shifters story and will be much shorter than the other one as it is a one shot. The other one is something I thought of late one night, so I couldn't write it at the time. It wouldn't leave me alone. It just kept hooking up with the inspiration bunny in my head and kept multiplying. It's a three-shot.  
**

 **Soo, I really shouldn't have to say this, but since no one but a few people really review anymore, RATE AND REVIEW!**

 **Thank you, AMaeJay, Demon She-Wolf, Draconian Master, ElriosTimeGuardian, EMSNaruto, and Lh0000 for reviewing so far. Please, continue to do so and help pick this story off the ground.**


	5. Chapter 5

**What is this? A new chapter perhaps? Yup! Time for some more Crazy Callisto.**

 **Callisto: I. Am. Not. CRAZY!**

 **Whoa, down girl.**

 **Anyway, you guys know the drill. I do not own Zelda. Enjoy!**

* * *

We entered the city, cloaks strewn over us. Link's latest heist was still fresh on everyone's mind, so the last thing we needed was for someone to recognize him… and me… I was spotted too, after all. Dark just wore a cloak for the heck of it.

It was more than a little nerve wracking being back in the city. To make matters worse, we were going into a guardsmen hot spot. Their very own training grounds and barracks. I could only hope Link's friend could get us in to see the princess of this country.

"So what is the princess like?" I asked, a little unexpectedly.

Link hummed. "Well, she's… nice. She's very tall and slender… beautiful too. She's very smart as well. I'd say, she's one of the best rulers Hyrule has had."

Despite the detailed description, it actually didn't tell me a lot. It should have, but it didn't. I guess that's why they say first impressions are the most lasting. Hopefully, the princess' first impression of me would be a good one. Doubtful.

Link steered Epona into the city stables and proceeded to dismount her, myself following, and Dark not far behind. "Okay," Link began. "I'm not sure how many people will recognize me or not, so to be safe, we're going a secret route to the castle. It won't be pleasant, be assured of that."

"Why do you say that?" I questioned.

Dark glanced over at me and groaned. "It's through the sewers… rat infested sewers."

"Ah," I cringed.

Link nodded and motioned us out of the stables. "As we walk, keep your head down low," he warned. "The guards got a pretty good look at your face, so the last thing we need is to be recognize. Yeah, we'll end up in the castle, but not in the way we need to be."

With that made clear as crystal, we began our trek through the streets. True to my word, I kept my head down and tried not to bring too much attention to myself. It shouldn't be too terribly hard. After all, it was the middle of the night and the only ones out besides ourselves were convicts and hussies.

As we walked down the streets, I began to notice how much older this area of the city looked. It was obvious that it was one of the first areas built, and judging by the many stalls and booths, it was still just as popular as it was in its hay day.

Suddenly, the werewolf in front of me turned sharply, heading down a flight of stairs into a back alley. "Where are we?" I asked. He pointed at a sign on the wall. "Telma's Bar? Why are we at a bar?"

Link raised a finger to his lips and slowly opened the door. I had no choice but to follow. The inside of the bar actually managed to surprise me. I was used to seeing dark, seedy places where people with a death wish chose to hang out, such was my world. I was instead met with low lighting and warm colors. Plush rugs were spread out around the establishment and the place itself was very clean. The incense in the far corner even drowned out most of the tobacco and liquor smell.

"Link, honey!" a voice exclaimed happily. Turning my head to the counter, I noticed a rather busty, tanned woman smiling widely at the werewolf in question. Her crimson dreadlocks were pulled into a high ponytail, weights hanging off two braided strands by the sides of her face. A small nose ring glinted in the low lighting and the colorful marks on her cheeks scrunched up as she smiled. "It's so good to see you again! You as well, Dark."

"Telma," Dark nodded with a smile.

Link pulled back the hood of his cloak and smiled. "I feel the same, Telma. What have you been up to?" he replied, setting his clock on a rack. When Dark did the same, I just assumed to follow suit.

The large woman waved her hand dismissively. "Please, Link, you know what I've been up to. The real question is what have you been up to?"

He grinned, sitting down at the bar. "Oh, you know… this and that. Plundering and pillaging."

This Telma laughed. "I should've expected an answer like that from you. Fine then. If you won't tell me that, why don't you introduce me to your lady friend here."

Link reached out with a hand and, pressing against the small of my back, pushed me forward. "This is Callisto. Callisto Van Helsing."

Telma smiled at me kindly, her bright eyes soft. "Well, it's nice to meet you Callisto. You can call me Telma. I'm the owner of this fine establishment and a good friend of these two. I'm sure we'll be the same," she said, shaking my hand.

Sniffing lightly and inconspicuously, I became confused. "What are you?" I asked, abruptly. She smelled almost human, yet… there was an underlying scent. Telma smelled not there at all.

Telma's smile widened. "Perceptive, aren't you. Very well. I'm a descendant of a race of people called the Gerudo. I am also a Dearg-Due."

"Dearg-Due?" I questioned.

Pulling her lips back, Telma grinned revealing sharp fangs. "We are a type of vampire and succubus, I suppose, specifically woman. The very first of us came from a tribe far to the north and was the exact opposite of myself in appearance. You know, slim, blonde, and pale." A light chuckle emerged from the Gerudo woman. "We both have a love of alcohols, though. That's probably why I started this establishment."

"Ah."

Telma turned to me. "And what are you, honey. It's only polite to return the favor."

I nodded and answered, "An abomination."

"I wish you would quit calling yourself that," Link swore under his breath. I wasn't meant to hear it, but I did."

"Hmm," the barkeep hummed. "Well, anyway, I assume you came for something specific. Am I right, Link?"

The werewolf nodded and leaned over the bar. "We need to get to the castle," he whispered.

Without another word said, Telma lifted up the gate on the bar and led us to the back room. Ushering us inside, she closed the curtain and proceeded to run her hand along the stone wall. One of the stones pushed in. "There," I heard her say. As she pressed the stone into the wall, part of the wall itself sunk in and slid inward, revealing a secret passage. "Hurry, you three. You'll have to find another way out. This doesn't open from the other side… you know the drill."

"Right." Link lightly pecked the woman on the cheek as a sign of gratitude. "Thank you, Telma."

The dearg-due woman smiled. "Of course. Now hurry!"

We filed into the narrow passage, the opening closing behind us. Would this really lead us to the castle? Well, there was no turning back now.

* * *

Our little sewer excursion had been less than pleasant, just as Link promised. It was hot and muggy, and while there were indeed rats, there were also giant spiders and other monsters alike swimming about the place. I was honestly a little surprised by the massive horde that we had fought through. But finally, the sewer trip was coming to a close.

"The exit is just up here, guys," Link informed us, pointing. Coming to a ladder built up the side of the wall, Link looked up. "There," he said, "is a trap door that will lead us to the castle gardens. The guard barracks are just on the other side. Hopefully that friend of mine will be there."

Grabbing the rungs, we began to climb, Link leading with me at the rear. It was only when we stopped, my head bumping Dark's backside, did I look up. "Why are we stopping?" I watched as Link took out his dagger and began fiddling with the trap door.

"It's locked," he said.

I raised an eyebrow. "You sound almost confused. Is it supposed to be locked?"

"Yeah. But I should have already unlocked it, so I don't understand why it won't budge. I hope nothing is blocking it from the other side."

Dark blew out air in a huff. "Great… then we're pretty much stuck down here."

"Until I can get the trapdoor open," Link corrected.

"Argh!" the demon growled. "Who knows how long that could take?!"

"Oh, for the love of—Move!" I shouted, reaching for the magic relic on my neck. Aiming it towards the trapdoor, I watched as the rose and its stem slithered down my wrist, forming a type of arm cannon. Magical energy began building up in the pedals. I could literally feel the pounding beat of the white, hot energy. It was released in a sudden burst, blasting a hole right through the trapdoor. And as the rose returned to normal, I clipped it back onto my choker. "That takes care of that."

Dark's head jerked around to face me. "You could've blown my ear off!" he screamed.

I waved my hand dismissively at him. "Oh, stop complaining, you big baby. You and your long, pointy ear are fine. Don't take my skill so lightly. There was no way I'd hit you at this range."

"Still!"

"Will you two shut up?!" Link hissed. "You're going to get us caught." With a huff, the werewolf continued up the ladder and through the trapdoor—er—hole. Dark and I followed silently, and when we emerged from the sewers, we were met with the sight of a large boulder in pieces. "I guess we know what was on top of the door," Link said.

Hearing footsteps, I quickly grabbed the boys by their sleeves and darted behind a nearby gazebo. A guard quickly rounded the corner seconds later. "Thought I heard something," he murmured. "Must've been my imagination."

I breathed a sigh of relief as the guard retreated from wherever he came from. "That was too close."

"Yeah," Link agreed. He turned to his doppelganger. "Dark, shift," he ordered.

"Right." I watched in amazement as the shadow demon slowly changed forms, his face elongating into a muzzle and his ears pulling up onto his head. He hunched over as his legs shortened and a long appendage came out from his behind. He had transformed into a black wolf, crimson lining his underbelly and a few other markings.

"I thought he was a demon."

"He is," the true werewolf amended. "Like he explained earlier, he drank my blood and took my DNA. He can shift into whatever form I could prior to meeting him. He's not really a werewolf, just a shifter really. All shadow demons can do this once they have a physical form and if the original form they took could shift its own form."

I hummed. "Strange."

"Kind of." Link looked around the gardens. "Stick close to us once I shift." No sooner said, Link's body began to shift much like Dark's had… only it sounded much more painful. While Dark had merely altered his appearance, Link's whole structure was breaking and reforming into a new shape. I tried not to show any form of emotion as I heard a new bone break and Link's cries of pain.

The change finally completed, I gazed down onto another black wolf, very similar to the one beside it. Link's underbelly was as white as snow, a section of brown separating the black from the white. Strange white markings spanned the black of Link's wolf body and I swore that I could almost see a green tint to the black.

As Link regained his bearings, I pulled my pistol from its holster and loaded a few tranquilizer rounds into a new magazine. They would hurt like hell, whoever they hit, but they wouldn't kill him. They wouldn't be propelled far enough to do that. Hopefully, I wouldn't have to use my gun.

My gun loaded, the two wolves shot me a look. "What? They're not lethal. They're tranquilizers."

Their wolfy shoulders shrugged. With no further confrontation, the wolves darted off, and I was forced to follow. We kept low to the ground, hiding under the hedges and around various plants. We were doing good so far. However, we were lucky that most of the guards had fallen asleep on the job anyway. Our luck ran out however when a lone guard came out of the very place we needed to go, changing rounds with a dozing comrade.

I swore under my breath and smacked Link's and Dark's flanks. "Go do something! Distract him," I said.

The two nodded and crept out of hiding. Raising their hackles, the boys growled, the guard immediately noticing them. "Cripes!" he said. "Wolves! What are wolves doing here?!" The guard lowered his spear as Link and Dark began to circle him. His back was facing me now. This was my chance.

Raising my gun, I took aim at the guard's leg, making sure the region I was aiming at wasn't vital, and fired. A quiet _pow_ echoed around us as the guard dropped, snoring away. I chuckled lightly as I stepped forward, putting my arms under the man's armpits to drag him away. While I did this, the boys shifted back, and I turned around to see a naked Link.

"Holy—Why don't you have clothes on?!" I panicked.

"What? Did you think clothes shifted with us? It's not like they magically disappear and then reappear. Besides, Dark's naked too. Why don't you freak out on him?"

I peeked at Link through my fingers which had been thrown over my eyes. "He's not the first one I saw."

"Don't drag me into this," Dark said from somewhere behind Link.

Link sighed, his breath long and drawn out. "Look, I know I'm amazingly good looking, but can you not be such a girl and get over this. As much as I enjoy being swooned over by women, now is not the time."

I groaned at the attitude that Link had displayed when we first met coming back. I was starting to think it was all just a mask. Maybe he was just embarrassed.

"Can you at least put something on?" I asked.

"Like what?"

Not really giving much thought to it, I took off my waist cape, leaving me in my leather pants, and ripped it into two. I handed the pieces to Link and Dark. "Just… hold it to your front or something," I mumbled, my face hot and probably red.

Dark laughed lightly as he grabbed his half of the cape. "Aw, is little Calisto embarrassed? Cute, she can act like a girl!"

I growled. "I'll show you embarrassed when you're the one dressed and acting like a girl in the Town Square. Oh, and you might be missing a few teeth if my fists have any say in it, demon boy… or should I say girl?"

"You wouldn't!"

I cocked my pistol and placed the muzzle into Dark's abdomen, staring him down. "This gun is loaded with at least four other tranquilizers that could easily knock you out for more than a couple of hours. That gives me plenty of time to slip you into some skimpy lingerie. So what I'm trying to say is try me."

The only thing to break us out of our intense glaring match was the sound of a strange knock on the barrack doors. The spying slide opened, revealing intense, dark green eyes. "Password?" a feminine voice asked.

"Faie, there is no password," Link said, raising an eyebrow.

"That's not the password. I can't let you in without the password. You could be a thief," the voice known as Faie joked, humor evident in her voice.

"Faie, you can see us for Farore's sake! Now can you please let us in?"

Dark agreed wholeheartedly. "Yeah, I'm freezing my—well, you know off."

There was an exasperated groan. "Fine." The spying slide slid shut and the sound of numerous locks unlocking met my ears. The door swung open in a hurry, and I found myself gazing down at a somewhat small girl. She couldn't have been more than five feet, weighing probably no more than a hundred pounds.

"Link," the girl smiled, hugging the naked man, completely relaxed with his lack of clothes. She turned to the demon beside me and stuck out her tongue before turning back to Link. "Why'd you have to bring him?"

Sighing, Link answered. "There's no time to explain. We need to get inside to see the princess."

Faie leaned over to look me in the eye. She pointed. "I'm assuming this is about her, yes?" Link nodded in response. Faie hummed in deep thought, her dark brown ponytail swishing behind her. "All right. Follow me." She entered the barracks, her finger to her lips, indicating that we needed to be quiet.

She led us into a room far into the back and closed the door behind us. She locked it and headed for an armoire, taking out two plain tunics and tossing them to the boys. "You're lucky, guys. You just caught me as I was returning from duty," she said, removing her armor. "By the way, who is the woman?"

"Callisto. Callisto Van Helsing," I introduced myself, avoiding eye contact with the boys as they changed.

"Well, Callisto, what do you need from the princess?"

"I wanted to see if your princess caught wind of a man named Maximus Cato. He's my commanding officer and we got… separated," I explained. As I went to say more, Faie began to strip out of her tunic to change into a more casual one. In doing this, I caught a glimpse of the large, red tattoo spanning the entirety of her back. It was of a dragon, the head at the back of her neck, the tail wrapped around her waist, and the wings cupping her rib cage.

"Is that all?" she asked.

My mouth went dry. I couldn't possibly tell her I was from another world. Too many people, in my opinion, knew already. Besides, she'd probably lock me up for being a nutcase. My magical abilities would know doubt be discovered, and I'd definitely be used as some guinea pig.

"Uh, no. That's… that's about it."

Faie gave me a look, but shrugged her slender shoulders. "I guess that's a good enough reason. All right, follow me. Oh, wait! Before I forget, give me your weapons." She smiled. "I'm sure you know how it is. No harm must come to the princess and all that."

With a roll of my eyes, I unstrapped my weapons belt and handed it to her, saber, gun, and all. Of course, she didn't necessarily have to know about the hidden blade tucked away in my boot… or the magic relic on my neck… not that it could leave my side anyway.

I turned around to face Link, having forgotten that he was dressing, and realized just how much bigger he and Dark were compared to the other guards. The casual tunics they were wearing barely covered down to their upper thighs. It became obvious why they were choosing to go pant-less and bootless.

"Well, then," I said, trying to not make my ogling to obvious. The tunic, as well as being too short, was also too tight. It was stretched over Link's and Dark's muscles, accentuating them in every way. I was almost afraid that if Link moved to much, he'd rip right through the material. I let out a heated breath. "Shall we get going then?"

Link nodded. "Yeah, lead the way, Faie," he agreed, turning to the female guard.

"Right." The small girl, my weapons hooked over her shoulder, approached a bare wall. Reaching up, Faie's hand grasped a torch and she pulled. A loud grating sound echoed around us as part of the stone wall sunk in further and slid away. An ascending staircase was revealed. "They will take you directly into the princess' bedchambers. Try not to insult her or stare at her, Dark," Faie informed.

The shadow demon copied the girl's earlier actions and stuck out his tongue.

With a deep inhale and a quick exhale, I began to climb the stairs. I prayed this princess would know where my colonel was. I didn't know how much more of this strange world I could take.

* * *

 **Okay, that's the end of another chapter.**

 **The character design of Faie belongs to Demon She-Wolf.**

 **I hope you guys will go read my newer story Halloween Dare. It was originally a one-shot, but it is now multi-chaptered. Please, take part in its contest.**

 **Also, Borderline Primal fans, don't forget to vote on the poll on my profile!**

 **Please, rate and review.**

 **By the way, the _Dearg-Due_ actually comes from an Irish legend. After committing suicide because of an abusive husband, the villagers buried her but didn't put any rocks on her grave, as is the custom so the dead can't come back. They remembered her kindness and decided to do it the next day. However, she rose that night in the form of a vampire like creature. Most others were women too, so Demon She-Wolf and I kind of took it like a succubus/vampire. (Dearg-Due actually means something along the lines of "blood sucking" or "blood sucking woman.")  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Time for another chapter, though I am severely disappointed about the last. I didn't get a single review! Seriously, guys! While I enjoy writing, it would be nice to get some recognition or something! Throw me a bone or something! Come on, guest reviewers! You can pitch in too!**

 **(sigh) Now that my rant is over, I do not own Zelda. Enjoy or whatever… Oh, by the way, I'm kind of, I repeat, kind of, doing my own character design for the princess since she's a nymph in this story.**

* * *

My legs and feet grew weary as I continued to climb up the spiraling staircase, and the walls felt like they were closing in to the already narrow passage. It became apparently clear that the princess's chambers must be in one of the taller towers. It felt like we had been climbing for hours now. I just hoped we wouldn't have to go on for too much longer.

The torch Faie was carrying just barely provided enough light to see what was in front of us. To make matters worse, it was already burning down into a nub. Would the torch even last us the rest of the climb?

Faie was also another matter entirely. I hadn't really noticed it before, but now that we were away from the stench of dozens of Hylian soldiers, a peculiar scent made its way to my nose and it was coming from the small girl. It smelled normal for the most part, but there seemed to be an underlying fragrance underneath. It wasn't entirely unpleasant, more of a smoky smell than anything, but I could faintly smell brimstone as well. That meant only one thing: an Ignis Draco. **(A.N. This is Latin.)**

Ignis Draco is a particular type of dragon born in fire, whether or not it was born in an egg or live is completely up to the parent. If the mothering dragon is in her bestial form, then an egg. If she's in a more human form, then there's a live birth. Nevertheless, the Ignis Draco is always born someplace warm, almost unbearably so, as a replacement to an incubator. They are cold blooded after all and unless they can heat their insides with fire, which won't happen until puberty, a dragon cannot hope to survive in the cold.

"We're here," the tiny girl suddenly announced, her emerald eyes glimmering in the soft torchlight. Pointing up, Faie directed us to a ladder. "I will climb up first and move the tile. You three follow."

We all nodded in understanding and waited for the girl to climb. As she did so, I grabbed the nearest rung on the ladder, not eager to be under one of the boys. The last thing I wanted to see at this point was their… well… Shaking my head, I began to climb up after Faie. She was already at the top and removing the tile above our heads. She quickly pulled herself out of the stairwell. I followed after her.

The room I pulled myself into was rather dark, the only light being supplied was the moon shining through the room, as Faie had to leave our torch down below. It took a minute for my werewolf inherited eyes to adjust to the darkness, but once they did, things became clear. Dark, blurry shapes suddenly morphed into a small table that was set up to the right of us. A solitary chair was placed at the window so that whoever sat there could overlook the castle. A desk was placed to the far left wall and beside that was a large, four-poster canopy bed.

I narrowed my eyes further, straining them until my pupils nearly blotted out my iris with their inky blackness. I could just barely make out a form laying on the bed behind the violet, sheer canopy. _It must be the princess,_ I concluded.

Faie held up a tiny hand towards us when everyone joined us in the room. "Wait here," she said before heading towards the covered bed. Pulling back the canopy curtains, Faie bent down towards the person on the bed, who I could only assume was the princess. She shook her gently, whispering softly. "Your highness, I need you to wake up."

The princess stirred, sitting up slowly, long hair spilling down her back. "Faie, what is it? What's going on?" Her head turned towards us. "Who are those people?" she asked in a silken voice.

I couldn't help but feel a little envy towards the princess. I hadn't even really seen her, but I instantly knew the princess was beautiful. That much could be true due to the light, fluttery sounds of her voice… and the fact that neither Link nor Dark had removed their eyes from her silhouette. Perhaps it was the fact that I was a competitive person, or maybe it was because I was a hormonal female with more than just beastly instincts, but I wished I could turn heads like that.

"The two males are Link and Dark. I assume you remember them at least?" Faie explained in wonder.

"Ah, yes," the princess said, recognizing the names. "Link was the thief who saved me from the assassination attack, correct? And Dark is an accomplice as well as a celebrated dealer of rare goods among the common people."

"A black market dealer, yes, that's right. Of course, you forgot to mention he's an unruly rapscallion."

"Faie," Dark commented. "I didn't even know your brain could comprehend big words like that."

"Shut it, you!"

The princess giggled lightly. "Well, I know Link and Dark, but who is the third person. The figure looks female." She stood from her bed, her shift falling to her knees. She grabbed a robe hanging off the post of her bed and put it on before emerging from the curtains. I was immediately struck with her overwhelming beauty.

The princess was fair skinned, but not sickly so, and long waves of golden hair cascaded down her back. Sticking out from the golden strands were long, pointed ears, and while they very much resembled those of a Hylian, hers were extraordinarily long with a soft pointed tip. She was tall, amazingly so for a woman, and slender with gentle curves. Her lithe body slowly came towards us in smooth strides, almost gliding. I turned to watch the boys as she batted her oceanic eyes at them. They were drooling, as expected of boys, but I couldn't stop my face from turning red in frustration.

"I am Zelda, princess of Hyrule and sole heir to the nymphs. Who might you be, stranger?" she inquired sweetly.

Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I spoke. "I am Callisto Van Helsing, and I've come to ask for your help."

Zelda brushed back some of her hair, drawing attention to the slight indentations in her face around her eyes and stretching across her forehead like a diadem. They were slightly darker than her skin tone, displaying her race. With its elegant design, I had almost mistaken it for an actual crown or headband.

"Help, you say? Of course, I would be more than happy to help, but I must ask, why is it that your aura is so much more different from those of my kingdom or any other kingdom that I have visited or has visited."

My breath caught in my throat. _She deduced that I'm not from here because of my aura? This princess… is very smart, it seems._ "Ah, well. There is a… reason for that." My mind whirled. _Should I tell her? If I do, will she think I'm crazy or will she actually believe me. I obviously can't do anything to get out of this. It's not like I can threaten her. I'm on her turf, and there's three citizens in this room that would probably die for the princess._

"Go on," she urged.

I sighed in defeat. "Well, princess," I began, scratching the back of my head, "I am not from this world."

"What in Hylia's name are you talking about?" Faie suddenly asked, drawing attention to herself.

I would need to explain this very delicately. If I even so much as mentioned my "job," I was sure my only door to my colonel would close. My words would have to be chosen carefully… which was not a strong point of mine.

"I had a confrontation with a rogue sorcerer from this world in mine. He wanted to go home, but the transmutation circle he made smeared and my… friend and me were sucked into this world." I looked towards the large window across the room, noticing that it had started to rain. "We were separated somehow, and I want to find him."

"That is the biggest load of crap I have ever heard of," Faie scowled.

Zelda held up a slender hand, silencing the female guardsmen. "Silence," she commanded with a turn of her head. Looking back towards me, the princess smiled softly. "I am aware of worlds other than our own. It makes sense. So, I will help you, but I can only do so much. You understand, correct?"

I nodded in complete understanding. "That's fine."

"Now," the princess began, heading to her desk. She sat down in the plush, leather chair and began sorting through documents. "A few days ago, I received word of a strange man having been sighted in Mynas Grove, a distant village far to the north in the Snowpeak province. It's a small village nestled in the mountains, and the people are a bit unwelcoming to strangers, but they should allow you entry if you are under the command, so to speak, of the royal family."

"Mynas Grove?" Link questioned. "I've never heard of it."

"And you shouldn't have," Zelda informed. "Mynas Grove is very secluded. Almost as much as your village, Link. Oh, and on a side note, that family's relocation went well. The three are living very happily in Kakariko Village."

The werewolf smiled. "Good."

"Anyway, it should take approximately two days or three days to reach the village." Zelda turned to Faie. "I would like for you to accompany them."

Faie bowed. "Of course, your highness."

Standing up suddenly, the princess walked slowly towards Link, a smile playing on her face. "You know, Link, I've been meaning to talk to you about a few things," she began, her finger trailing up his chest as she reached Link. "Call them, matters of the heart. After all, it's awfully lonely here in this big castle, especially after papa passed on."

Link grabbed Zelda's dainty hand with his own, dwarfing it in his grip. "I'll have to decline, Princess. Like I've said before, it's not a life for me."

A sigh escaped the beautiful nymph's mouth. "Very well. Be off with you then. And take this letter," she said handing an envelope to Link. "It should get you into Mynas Grove without two much of a hassle." Zelda then turned to me. "I hope you find whoever it is you are looking for, Callisto. May Hyrule's goddesses watch over you always."

With a slight bow to show respect and gratitude, I turned around and headed back towards the trapdoor. I slipped into the darkness of the shadows, having just enough patience to wait for the others before heading off, the torch from before in my hand. I wasn't really concerned with stealth anymore either. I just wanted to get out of there.

While I had been grateful to the princess's help, I didn't care to meet her again. Don't get me wrong, I liked the woman. She was one of the few tolerable people here in this topsy-turvy world. But for some reason, whenever she looked at Link, my stomach would curl in disgust. It didn't sit right with me.

She could have whoever she wanted, and I would always have no one.

* * *

My lip curled in distaste as we exited the city on horseback. It had been a maze of tunnels trying to find a way out, and Link just so happened to have forgotten the way he usually took. It was definitely a little more than annoying.

"So how do we get to this Mynas Grove?" I asked from behind Link.

"We'll have to go through Zora's Domain. It'll take about a day to get to the border of it," Faie answered, her arms regrettably wrapped around Dark's midsection. Her words, not mine. She had mentioned earlier that she'd sooner have her arms cut off than to want to hold onto Dark.

Said shadow demon chuckled. "Heh, you'll sure get a surprise when we get there?"

I cocked my head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Dark shook his head. "You'll see."

We traveled the remainder of the day at a relatively brisk pace. I was sure I would be saddle sore by the time the day was up. We had already passed through two fields and now we were making the trek up a small mountain path. Sure it wasn't a hard climb, but it was bumpy and the paths were narrow. More than once, I was afraid we would tumble off the side.

We finally broke for camp when a small enclosure was spotted. A shallow cave was dug out into the side of the cliff, almost like a bowl, and would offer just enough protection from the elements for everyone. The bedrolls were laid out as were the cooking utensils. All we would need now was fire.

As Faie built a small ring of stone and filled it with old, dried limbs, I searched my pockets for a piece of flint. When I managed to find one, I looked up only to be met with a rush of heat, forcing me to close my eyes. The next time they opened, I was met with a small blaze. I pointed to it. "How did you do that?" I asked.

"Do what?" the girl shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"The fire."

"What about it?"

"How did you manage to light it so quickly?" I pressed.

Faie shrugged again. "The old fashion way. I'm just really good at it."

I didn't believe her for a second… but I'd let it slide for now. Her little lie only increased my suspicions of Faie being an Ignis Draco anyway. More proof, more blackmail.

With a sigh, I held my hands out towards the fire, warming them up. Despite not having been here in Hyrule for very long, I had noticed a significant decrease in the temperature here. It must be close to winter here.

I jumped as a large deer was tossed down on the ground beside me. "Dinner," Link smiled, sitting down beside me. He held up his dagger and looked at me. "Help me clean it?"

I pulled out my own dagger and grinned. "Sure."

We cleaned the large buck and were soon roasting it over the open fire. We ate and quickly realized that we had enough meat to last us another day, so we persevered it with salt. With full bellies, most everyone went to sleep… well everyone except Link and myself. Link was on watch while I was cleaning the deer hide. I planned to make it into a blanket.

The werewolf watched, seemingly fascinated, as I began to pull a needle and thread through the thick hide. "I didn't know you could sew and mend."

I chuckled. "You don't even really know me."

Link's face turned a light pink. "Yeah, well, that could change. I mean, if you want to talk."

I froze in mid stitch. "Perhaps another time when we're more comfortable around each other," I said, continuing to sow the hide into one solid piece.

"Fair enough," Link agreed. He sat in silence, trying not to meet my downcast gaze. He finally broke the silence, his hand catching mine. "Callisto, if you don't mind me asking, what do you plan to do when you find your colonel?"

I thought about it for a moment. "I will try and find a way home. Hyrule is great and all, but I'm still not so sure that all supernatural creatures are just as great. But thanks to you, I think I can accept that they are just like normal people; conscious of their own decisions and able to make their own choices. My world needs to see that."

Link grabbed the hide, along with the needle and thread, and set it beside him. "Why don't you get some sleep."

I yawned, hunkering down into my bedroll. As I fell asleep, I couldn't help but smile. For once, I felt safe and wanted.

* * *

 **Please, please, please rate and review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I figured it was about time for another update, so here I am!**

 **I'm still not getting the amount of reviews I would like, and (sorry when I say this) I find it kind of stupid that thirty seconds can't be taken out of readers' time to review. I mean, it takes longer than that to read the chapter.**

 **Sorry, that was my rant for the day. Please, continue reading.**

 **I don't own Zelda. Enjoy! WARNING: MENTIONS OF RAPE... ONLY MENTIONED!**

* * *

My body shook with tremors as the cold nipped at my skin, gooseflesh rising. I jolted up from the bedroll, realizing just how cold it had gotten overnight. The fire had gone out sometime last night as well, if the dimly lit embers were any indication.

What had caused the dramatic change in the weather?

A groan to my immediate right suddenly drew my attention and I tensed, not used to my new companions. It had been Faie. She slowly sat up and stretched, her sniffles demonstrating her distaste for the weather as well.

"Ugh, I hate the cold. We must be closer to Zora's domain then I initially thought," she moaned as her back popped pleasantly.

I cocked my head in confusion. "Why do you say that?" I inquired.

She shrugged, smacking her lips. "Zora's domain is at the base of a series of mountain ranges called Snowpeak. While it escapes the cold due to various of factors, Snowpeak lives up to its name. It is, by far, the coldest thing I have ever had the unfortunate luck of experiencing."

Leaning in further towards the girl, I pulled my bedroll over my shoulders, attempting to block the cold. "I'm quite interested in how Zora's Domain is unaffected by the cold. Explain, would you?"

"Well," Faie began, choosing to eat some of the leftover meat from the deer we had the previous night, "I'm not quite sure myself. Personally, though, I find Zora's Domain to particularly muggy while refreshing. Most of what I know is that it rains a lot there and there are a few large underwater geysers. I would imagine that's why the place is always warm."

"Why is it so refreshing, then? I don't enjoy muggy weather in the slightest. I find it rather hard to breath in all actuality."

Faie wagged a finger at me as she swallowed a portion of the meat. "That's where Snowpeak comes into play. While Zora's Domain isn't cold, it enjoys the constant breeze that comes in from the mountains. It pretty much blows away the mugginess."

"What are you two babbling about so early for? And why is so damn cold?!" Dark asked, grouchily waking up.

The guardswoman glowered. "Like you can tell the temperature and it's nothing you need to concern yourself with, demon. But if you must know, we made more ground then we thought yesterday."

"That explains the northerly wind," Link piped in, waking as well. He stretched for a moment before rising from his own bedroll. He proceeded to roll it up. "I suggest we get a move on," he said, moving to his pack. He fastened the bedding to it before removing a small jar and an even smaller brush.

I watched as he dipped his brush inside, the bristles now covered in a heavy powder. He then wet the powdered covered brush with water from his canteen and the powder quickly turned to paste. _Tooth powder,_ I deduced.

Link began to brush his teeth. "Anyone else?" he spoke around the brush in his mouth, holding out the powder.

I eagerly took the jar and brought out my own brush. "Thanks." I immediately followed Link's actions, ready to remove the fuzzy feeling off my teeth and my morning breath. The others were quick to follow as well.

Our personal hygiene taken care of, we quickly picked up camp and were off again. And as we moved up the trail, I couldn't help but notice that Link nor Dark had bothered to change out of the flimsy guardsmen tunics. Wasn't he cold? Then again, pressed up against his back, I could easily feel heat radiating off of the werewolf. He was like a furnace.

"You're not cold at all?" I asked, picking at the short sleeves of his tunic.

Link shook his golden head. "Not really. I'm rather comfortable. That'll probably change once we get into the mountain, though. Come to think of it, it is a little colder than normal right now."

"What about Dark? He made a comment about being cold last night and this morning, but Faie mentioned something about him not feeling the temperature at all."

He laughed. "Dark's gotten good."

An eyebrow rose up to the expanse of my forehead. "Explain," I demanded.

Link only laughed again, his fingers tightening on Epona's reigns. "Faie's right, Dark really can't feel the temperature personally."

"Personally?"

"Aye," the werewolf nodded. "Personally. Dark can feel a difference in the temperature, sure, but he really can't feel hot or cold. Like I've explained before, Dark's actual body is more of an ethereal thing that can't touch or feel things in this world. It's only through my blood that he can feel any of the things here at all. And I mean that physically, Dark's always had his own feelings and ideas. To mask his shadow demon habits we've tried to acclimate him to mention things such as temperature and pain."

I was silent. There was so much more to the demon that I originally thought… and to Link as well. It was strange to find that I was actually starting to… to… care?... about these people. It was like my heart was opening up for the first time in years. And I had only known these guys for a few days at the most; Faie even less!

"Hey, guys!" Faie's voice called out, breaking me from my thoughts. "We've got trouble!"

* * *

The horses were brought to a halt. The road was blocked, large, spiked blockades barring the way. In front of them was a group of men and they were heavily armed. _Thieves?_

"Friends of yours?" I whispered to Link.

He growled inhumanly. "Hell no. Like I would be caught dead with these raping, murdering swine."

A scrawny man emerged from the group in front of us, palming a bludgeon. "Well, well, well. Looks like we spiders caught us some flies! Right, boys?!" The men behind him laughed in agreement, and the man began walking towards us. "And it looks like they've brought us some pretty flowers too. How about that? Talk about lucky!"

"What makes you think you're so lucky?" Link snarled, his arm twitching, wanting to go for the sword strung across his back.

Twig, my new nickname for the scrawny man, laughed. "Why else?! We get to kill you, loot you, and we get to take your women too! You've given us quite the gift." Twig drew a sword. "Let us return the favor and send you to paradise so you can be with your goddesses!"

I grew tired of hearing Twig drone on, so I decided to cut the conversation short. "Oh, go suck a lemon," I snapped, pulling out my gun and cocking the hammer. It was fully loaded, and not with tranquilizers this time.

Link and Dark's laughter bellowed out all around us, and the snickers of the men weren't missed either. Twig's face flushed. "Girl's got game," he said angrily. "Too bad for you I like my women feisty!"

"Oh, I've more than game!" I yelled, squeezing the trigger. A bullet was fired right into Twig's knee, and he was dropped like a rock, squealing like a pig. "How do you like them apples," I sneered.

"You'll pay for that, you damned girl!" Waving his arm wildly at us, Twig shouted, "Get 'em, boys!"

Leaping off Link's horse, I switched my pistol to my left hand and drew my saber with the other. I pointed them to the charging group, just about to attack when Link vaulted off of Epona and fired some kind of explosive arrow. **(A.N. Yes, that is a Zelda Wii U reference.)** The group scuttled backwards, narrowly missing the explosion.

"What the hell?!" one yelled.

"Group two!" Twig yelled from his spot on the ground. Out of nowhere, another group came in from behind us, having hid in the shrubbery. At that moment, I was getting damn tired of hearing Twig's whiny voice. And so… without much thought put into the action, I lobbed off his head with my saber. Said head rolled right off the side of the mountain path.

"Good riddance too," I stated with a nod of my head.

The sounds of clashing metal made me jump, and my head whirled to see Faie facing off with a burly man. She was wielding a massive scythe that she seemed to have pulled out of thin air. I'd have to ask her how she did it later, but for now I needed to focus my attention on the fight… and the man sneaking up behind the brunette.

Aiming, I fired off another round off right into the back of the sneaking man's head. If he was alive, which I highly doubted he was, he would have a massive headache. Faie turned her head just enough so she could see what happened and she nodded to me in silent thanks.

Nodding in return, I turned to find Dark and Link holding off the majority of the horde. Even the horses were helping, their flailing hooves knocking people back just before they stomped them out with their massive weight.

Suddenly, a loud bang reverberated around us and a searing pain shot down my left arm and shoulder, my weapons falling from my hands. I had been shot! "Dammit!" I swore loudly, looking at a massive swell of blood coming from my left shoulder. Looking to where the shot came from, my eyes widened at the sight of another man standing not even five feet away from me. How had I missed him?! He was at point-blank range!

"This is for my brother," the man's seethed through clenched, gritted teeth. He pointed his own gun at me, digging the barrel into my forehead. There was nothing I could do; my weapons were on the ground, I had an injured shoulder… I was going to die.

The hammer cocked and I slammed my eyes shut.

 _BANG!_

I screamed as the shot fired, but surprisingly… no pain came. It only took a second for me to realize that I hadn't been hit. Opening my eyes, I gasped. Link lay on the ground clutching at a spot on his side. He had taken the bullet for me… why?

My pupils narrowed to slits as red clouded my vision. "You bastard!" I roared. In less than a second, I had kicked my saber up into the air, grabbed it, and spun around to deliver a killing blow, slicing the man clean in half from the waist.

The shock of my blade slicing though bone reverberated up through my arm. I had felt the crunching of the man's bones as clear as if they were my own. The deadly edge of my blade had sliced his insides into ribbons, blood pouring out from both ends of his body's halves.

Dropping my sword once again, I dropped to Link's side, helping him sit up as I ignored the pain that flared up in my shoulder. "You idiot," I snapped, pulling out a dagger. The bullet was still in Link's side and needed to be pulled out. Speaking of, the one in my shoulder needed to be pulled out as well. "Why did you do that?"

Link shook his head. "I don't know," he said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "My body just moved on its own," he growled out the rest as I dug my dagger into the wound, trying to dig the bullet out.

Swallowing, I breathed out a sigh, noticing the fighting had stopped with us as the victors. "Well, thanks, but don't make a habit of that."

Link chuckled lightly. "With the way my instincts were screaming at me, I don't think we have much choice."

Finally managing to get the bullet out of the werewolf, I watched in fascination as his skin slowly knitted itself together. Soon the wound was gone… there wasn't even a scar. "Wish I healed _that_ fast," I sighed. "It would definitely be a better perk than these yellow eyes."

The werewolf in front of me frowned, sitting up and taking my dagger away. He got behind me and slid the top of shirt down slightly over my arms. It was my turn. Bracing myself, I hissed, having felt the tip of the blade begin to search my shoulder.

"What if I like them?"

"What?" I gritted out. "Like what?"

There was a pregnant silence. "Your eyes," Link finally answered.

I swallowed the lump that had unexpectedly formed in my throat. "Well then, you'd be the first." I cried out when Link dug the bullet out of shoulder, the metal coming out with a _plop._ He began wrapping my shoulder with some gauze.

Sliding my shirt back up my shoulders, I couldn't help but laugh. It probably looked like a rampaging flock of moths had gotten to my clothes. "At this rate, I'm going to need a new shirt. I mean half the sleeves are gone and I'm putting holes absolutely everywhere in it."

Faie snorted, her scythe having disappeared. I still needed to ask her about that. "Well, I'm pretty sure we'll all be needing new clothes soon. Even wolf boy here won't survive long in one of Snowpeak's blizzards. Luckily for us, I know someone that is trying to get her winter apparel store off the ground. You can't exactly see clothes to a Zora."

Link, Dark, and Faie walked off back towards the horses, leaving me confused. "Why can't you sell clothes to a Zora?" No one answered. "Oi! Do Zoras not wear clothes or something?!"

* * *

Clutching my sides, I shivered uncontrollably as my jaw dropped. If this was Zora's Domain, something was most definitely wrong. The warm, tropical environment described to me by Faie was not this. This was a frozen tundra.

The other's faces mirrored my own, showing their disbelief. "What in the name of Hylia happened to this place?" Faie gaped.

"Well," said Link, "at least we know why it's colder than normal."

"Colder than—colder than normal?! Zora's Domain is frozen solid! If it was any colder, we'd have a bunch of stiffs on our hands!" Dark exclaimed, motioning towards a shaking pair of fish people.

That's another thing. Zoras, as I've come to find out, are fish people. There rather beautiful actually. With angular eyes that matched my own in color, the Zoras gave off an alluring quality. Their noses, if they could be called that, were completely flat at the bridge and their scales glistened in the sunlight. The only thing worn by the Zoras were jewels embedded in gold. Some were wrapped around their webbed ankles or wrists. Sometimes I'd spot similar collars around their necks or even a headdress of some kind.

Fortunately, they all seemed to be fine… for now.

"Why is it like this?" I asked. "Could it be something to do with that mountain, Snowpeak?"

Link nodded. "It has to be. And it's happened before."

"What do you mean? How has it happened before?"

"It was over three centuries ago," Faie spoke up. "A great darkness took hold of Hyrule. It sent an ancient artifact, one of four, to the top of Snowpeak. The darkness had corrupted it, turning the artifact into a thing of misery. It devoured the mind of a poor creature and sent Snowpeak into an eternal blizzard, but it wasn't just Snowpeak affected."

"Zora's Domain was completely frozen over, worse than what we are seeing now, water sources across Hyrule began to dry up, plants withered… It was chaos," Link continued for the girl.

It seemed magic affected Hyrule just as much as my world. Magic seemed to almost engulf Hyrule. It was like the kingdom revolved around it. That brought me to my next question. "Is the artifact doing this?"

Dark shook his head strongly. "Impossible. The artifact was destroyed a long time ago."

"Then what could be causing this freak freeze?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to find out. Perhaps the answer is in Mynas Grove." Link turned to Faie. "Where is this friend of yours, Faie? We need some durable clothing."

The girl smiled, revealing some sharper than normal canines. "Follow me."

* * *

"I don't know what you four are thinking going up that mountain, Faie, but you've definitely come to the right place."

Faie's friend went by the name Iza. Iza was definitely a character. Wearing skin tight clothing and with a huge fro on her head, she was an interesting sight. We had been given all new clothes fit for the coldest of winters, courtesy of the strange woman.

Link and Dark and finally managed to wear some trousers, thick ones too that were lined in fur and fleece. We all wore undershirts, long sleeved shirts, and heavy dusters equipped with hoods. And the thick riding boots we wore were sure to serve their purpose in the snow. I chose to keep my leather pants any other part of my clothes that survived.

"Well," Link began, grabbing a wide brimmed hat and placing it on his head, "if we're not prepared, I don't know what prepared is."

"Right," Iza joined in. "Since you're only borrowing the merchandise, I won't charge you. Let me give you some advice, though. Along the mountain, there are markers indicating caves. If a blizzard picks up, hide in them. Don't try and brave the storms."

"Got it," we all agreed.

"One last thing, yeah?" the woman continued. We all waited expectantly. "If you see any yetis, don't scream."

"Righ—wait… what?"

* * *

 **Ah, well that's another chapter done. I'm really excited for the next chapter, and I really think you guys will like it. Callisto shows that she… has a heart! No seriously, she actually shows a little compassion.**

 **Anyway, thank you to all my readers who review. You guys are what keep me going.**

 **Please, please, please… rate and review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I know I just updated this story, but I'm really excited for it. I want to get into the heart of it and into Callisto's heart. I want to show you readers that she isn't stone or ice.**

 **So let's get started. I do not own Zelda. REFERENCES TO THE OCARINA OF TIME MANGA RATHER THAN THE GAME.**

* * *

Iza was right to warn us about the rapidly changing weather. The sky had been a clear, bluebird blue and we hadn't been walking for more than ten minutes at the most when the clouds started to roll in. The sky darkened to a thick, smoky grey and the first bit of snow began to fall. It didn't take long for it to turn into a blizzard.

The snow pelted my face like frigid needles, the skin turning numb with the cold. I tried to hide from the harsh snow by burying my face in the collar of my duster to no avail. "We've got to take cover!" I yelled over the howling wind, my teeth chattering.

Looking over to Faie, I could literally see frost and icicles accumulating in her hair and on her eyelashes. And while the boys didn't look any better, she looked the worst out of all of us. Faie wasn't going to last in this weather.

Link followed my gaze over to said girl and nodded. We would be taking shelter it would seem. Thank goodness!

Holding a hand to my eyes in an attempt to block the wind, I peered through the snow, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the marker flags. It was like trying to see through pea soup; nearly impossible. Yet somehow, I managed to catch the outline of a red flag flapping wildly in the wind. "There's one!" I yelled. "Follow me!"

We trudged through the deep snow, the freezing substance easily coming up to my thighs, praying that we'd reach the marked cave. _It must be up to Faie's waist,_ I mused. I was only allowed rest when we finally managed to make it into the cave.

Once there, I collapsed on the floor, breathing heavily, my breath visible in the cold air. Faie must have had a similar idea, for the next thing I knew, she was on the ground next to me. Raising my hand to her face, I cringed. She was so cold. And if my theory on her being an Ignis Draco was right, then this was not good at all.

Faie needed to get warm.

Jumping up, I began searching the cave for anything we could burn. The boys were quick to jump in and help. "Have you found anything?" I asked after a good five minutes of searching.

"Nothing!" Dark yelled. "Link?"

"Same here!"

I swore under my breath, not having any luck myself. Glancing at Faie from over my shoulder, I frowned. The girl was looking worse for the wear. She would last long if we couldn't get a fire going. That's when an idea suddenly came to me.

Reaching into the pack on my belt, I pulled out a small book—a journal. It had been my father's. It was a journal of his adventures before I was born… probably even before he met my mother. It didn't mean much to me… besides, this worthless thing was about to help us.

Ripping off two or three pages, I set them on the cave floor and made a rock ring around them. I immediately pulled out my flint and grabbed a rock from the ground. It was time to make a fire.

Striking the rock and the flint together, I clenched my teeth tighter and tighter each time I got a spark, but failed. "Come on, come on, come on," I repeated aloud like a mantra. I breathed a sigh of relief as the paper finally caught fire. "Yes," I breathed, lightly blowing on the flames. It wasn't a big fire, but it would have to do.

"Here," one of the boys said from behind me. It was Dark, and in his hands were what appeared to be twigs. "I found some dry roots. There's not a lot, but I figure it will help."

I smiled, taking the roots from him. "Thank you," I said. They were quickly added to the fire.

"I think," Link drawled, digging through his own pack, "I have some books you could use." He returned with two thick books. "These are pretty much useless," he said, handing them to me.

I nodded, accepting the books from him. After adding them to the fire, I motioned for Dark to help me reposition Faie. "Come on, Faie," I said to the girl, easing her closer to the fire.

Dark draped a couple of blankets over her shoulders. Faie pulled them tightly around herself. "Thanks," she shivered.

 _Why is she so determined to keep up this façade? She could be so much warmer in her other form. I don't understand,_ I thought, confused. _Is it possible that… the others don't know?_

A heavy sigh passed over my lips. "Faie," I said. "Transform."

The girls emerald eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Wha—What? What are you talking about?" She looked back and forth from me and the boys. "I don't… I don't…"

"Stop acting," I said, my voice hard and cold. Rubbing my forehead with my fingers, my eyes softened. "Faie, the only way you're going to survive this is if you shift into your other form."

"What is Callisto talking about, Faie?" Dark asked.

"So it's true," Link murmured. "I mean, I always suspected, but—"

Faie looked up at me, her eyes showing her confusion. "How did you know?"

I looked away, unable to meet her gaze. "Faie, I was trained to hunt the supernatural. I know what to look for in people, and I know a dragon when I see one."

Dark took a step back, but immediately recovered. He knelt down beside the revealed dragon and put a hand to her back. "A dragon? Why didn't you tell us? We wouldn't have thought any less of you."

"Please," Faie scoffed. "You hate me, Dark."

"I don't hate you," he objected, a smirk playing at his lips. "I just enjoy getting a rise out of you."

Faie smiled softly, but sadly. "It's not that I didn't want to tell you, it was just hard. My parents aren't exactly what you would call noble."

I sat down beside the girl, placing a hand on her knee. "I can relate. We're here to listen."

"My father is an dragon mix who goes by the name of Volga. He isn't evil, but he hasn't done anything noble or worth mentioning. He makes his home in Death Mountain. As for my mother, she was the dragon Volvagia."

"Volvagia!" Link exclaimed. His fingers found his way to his chin and he scratched the back of his head. "I always thought Volvagia was male… and dead… and evil…"

"Yes, well. My mother wasn't always evil. She was actually raised by the Hero of Time. And yes, I realize that was over a four hundred and something years ago, but let me finish," she said, noticing Dark's raised hand. "It was when the evil of that time took over that she turned. It wasn't even her fault. She was brainwashed."

"Terrible," I mumbled.

Faie nodded in agreement. "It was only through death that she was released from the prison inside her mind. However, she didn't stay dead. Somehow, with her remains, she was brought back to life. Long story short, my parents met, things happened, and here I am."

"I can see why you didn't want to tell us," Link said. "But… I'm glad you did. And I think Callisto is right. You need to transform. I doubt you're old enough to breathe fire while in human form."

"Right," the girl sighed. Standing up slowly, Faie shrugged off the blankets and clothes and took a few steps back. "You guys might want to watch out. I may not be very big for a dragon, but I'll take up most of this cave."

We all gave each other a look and backed up against one of the cave walls. It was then that Faie began to transform. She groaned, her body lengthening and growing. Bright red scales pushed up from under tan skin, covering a neck that was now the size of a tree trunk and the rest of Faie's body too. Bones snapped and bent at awkward angles as Faie's legs grew and took a new shape, each of her fingers adorning wicked claws.

I thought I was going to lose my breakfast when a pair of wings and a tail shot forth from her body. It looked so violent and grotesque, but Faie didn't appear to be in too much pain. And when it was all over with, I couldn't hold back my gasp. After all, I had never seen a dragon up so close before.

I walked up to the creature and ran a gentle hand along her forearm. Faie's entire body was covered in bright crimson scales, streaked with black and orange. Moving her reptilian head so it could rest on one of her hands—paws—claws… Faie let out a tired huff, steam rising from her nostrils. My hand traveled over the top of Faie's head and up long, twisted horns.

"Feeling warmer?" Dark asked, patting Faie's scaly cheek.

The dragon shrugged her massive shoulders and started to stand up, her legs shaking. Dark and I took a step back as Faie took a giant breath and began blowing fire at the cave floor. She spun in a circle much like a dog would before laying down on the slightly heated floor.

"Warmer now?" Faie nodded, her eyes closing. Pretty soon, she was snoring away.

"Guess she was tired?" I smiled with a shrug. Link laughed but was suddenly overwhelmed by a yawn. "You look tired too," I said to him.

"I suppose."

I glanced over to Dark and saw him sleeping against Faie. Even though she said she was a small dragon, she easily towered over the shadow demon. He snored loudly, enjoying the heat.

I looked back to Link. "Why don't you take a nap too? I'll keep watch."

The werewolf nodded in affirmation. "Oh, all right. Are you sure you'll be okay on your own."

"Completely."

With a raised eyebrow, Link gave in and settled in next to Faie and Dark, eager to share the heat. It wasn't long before he was sleeping too. As for me, I pulled up a rock and sat down beside the small fire, watching the howling blizzard outside. The storm hadn't let up a bit. In fact, it was worse than before.

A shiver wracked my body and I pulled out my father's journal again. I ripped out a page and tossed it into the fire. The tiny fire blazed on, and I found myself wishing that I had more to toss into the fire than just books. Just as I was about to rip out another page, a heading in the journal caught my eye.

 _Trip to a Strange World._

"It… It couldn't be… could it?" I asked myself. I began to read the entry which was, unfortunately, unfinished.

 _Amazing! To think that there was a world that mirrored my own! I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself._

 _Much like my own world, this one had creatures of the supernatural as well… only they seemed to coexist with their human counterparts. If only the people of my world were so willing. This kingdom of Hyrule was truly amazing!_

I read over the sentence again, twice, and even three times. The words never changed… not once. "My father went to Hyrule? How is that possible?" Of course, no one answered me, nor did I expect any answers to just come to me. I continued reading.

 _I had arrived in Hyrule on the 23_ _rd_ _while I chasing a rogue supernatural. Whatever I was chasing was fast. If only I had... ahead… How… return…_

The rest of the page had been ruined, the words indecipherable. I was left perplexed. This meant that my father had went to Hyrule… and somehow returned.

There was still a chance that I could go home!... But did I really want to?

* * *

I didn't tell anyone about the journal's contents. I had a hard time believing it myself. Come on, I mean, my father had taken a trip to Hyrule without telling me! What was I supposed to think?!

Link sighed, returning from the cave entrance. "The storm hasn't let up a bit," he explained. "We're stranded."

"Great," Dark groaned. "Let's add that to the list of the already monumentally long list of things that have gone wrong."

"Pessimist," I accused.

Dark shook his finger at me. "Ah, ah, ah… I'm a realist."

"Pessimist."

"Realist."

"Pessimist."

"Real-"

A mighty roar erupted from the mouth of our dragon friend. My hands clamped over my ears, which I was sure were bleeding by now. Faie had gotten annoyed by our arguing and immediately demonstrated her thoughts on the matter. She slammed her tail on the ground in frustration, and the earth began to shake. Rocks came falling down, and we were forced to scramble to avoid getting crushed. Yet, somehow, in the midst of the chaos, a long since forgotten path had been reopened.

The cascade of falling rocks having calmed, we all moved towards the far wall of the cave to look into the discovered path. "It looks like an old mine shaft," Link observed. "I imagine it goes to the top of the mountain."

"That's great!" Dark exclaimed. "Now we don't have to wait out that damn blizzard."

The werewolf shook his head in protest. "From the amount rock and ice that was blocking the path, it's been a long time since its seen any use. Who knows what we'll find in there."

"It's our only option," I shrugged. "This storm is not letting up anytime soon, and it won't be long before we all freeze to death anyway. I'd rather take my chances."

Link looked outside the cave, towards the storm, then back towards the mine shaft. A loud, dramatic sigh was given off before he finally gave in. "At this point, it does seem like the better option—the only option. All right, but we need to be careful." Link turned his gaze to the dragon peeking over our heads. "You'll want to change back now."

Faie nodded her reptilian head, her form already shrinking to its original size. I averted my gaze as the painful process began. I didn't want to witness it again as I was sure it was just as bad in reverse. It was only when Faie was fully dressed and back to normal did I dare look her way.

 _She looks… tired…_ I noted. _Is she going to be all right to make the trek?_

"Okay," Link said, tearing me away from my concerns. "Let's get a move on."

* * *

The ice that had been blocking the entrance to the mine shaft had pretty much taken over the entirety as well. The once functioning tracks had been completely frozen over as well as most of the side paths. As a result, we were slipping all over the place as we walked.

Water dripped off of an icicle, landing on my nose. I sneezed at the sudden cold. "Ugh, I hope we won't have to stay here too long." I spared a glance at Faie. Her lips were turning blue and she was shivering violently. It must really suck to be cold-blooded.

"There are so many stalactites… or is it stalagmites?" Dark observed. "Ah, no matter."

"So what do you plan to do if this Cato is here in Mynas Grove," Link questioned as we walked.

I shrugged, giving him a sideways glance. "I hadn't really thought about it. We'll probably figure out a way to go home, though."

The werewolf beside me hummed, taking in my words. "Are you really going back? I mean, from the way you describe it, your world doesn't sound all that wonderful."

I opened my mouth only to shut it immediately. The idea of going back or not going back had been plaguing my mind since I had been introduced to Hyrule. "While I would love to stay and explore this place more, I feel like I should go back," I finally answered. "It's exactly what you said as to why I should go back. The people of my world have been so blind and naïve… I see that now. I have to go back and make things right; to make people see the supernatural for what it is. And I have some unfinished business that I should resolve."

"You sound like you've pretty much made up your mind."

"Yeah, I have."

Link and I stared at each other in silence, not even realizing that we had stopped. Blue eyes bore into my yellow as if they were searching for something. For some reason, I recognized it as desperation. But what could Link be searching for so desperately that involves me?

"If you guys are done staring into each other's eyes dreamily, I'm freezing my butt off back here!" Faie called out, jolting me from my daydreams.

"Sorry," Link said, rubbing the back of his head.

I nodded in reply, and we walked on. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before we were stopped again. This time, it was because of a huge chasm. Leaning forward, I peered down into the impending darkness, a rock skittering off the edge.

"Now what do we do?" I said, backing away slowly. "There's no way we can jump that."

"I would fly us across, but I'm too cold and too big as a dragon," Faie mentioned.

Link laughed, throwing his head backwards. "Ha! This… this is nothing. Nothing!" I watched as Link dug into the pack at his hip and out came a… a bow?

Leaning over to Faie, I whispered, "Where did that come from?"

"An enchanted of pack from the dark ages called the Pocket of Holding. They're really rare and extremely hard to find. I've always wondered where Link got his, but he would never tell me. Selfish mutt. He must have raided another temple."

Drawing the bowstring back, Link aimed at what appeared to be an old bridge post. I noticed the rope tied to the arrow as it was shot and went all the way through the post. He quickly grabbed the other end of the rope and tied it around another post on our side.

"Now we can cross," Link said, his bow disappearing. Suddenly, his face morphed into one of confusion. "Callisto, if you have a magic relic that changes form, why didn't you just use that to cross?"

I reached up and fingered one the rose's petals. It was strange how much comfort it brought me despite my eminent dislike for the magical device. "I don't like magic, so I don't really think of using it too often. I prefer to do things on my own, for I am a woman of science." An awkwardness settled over us, and I refused to meet the gazes of my… friends?

Could I even call them that? Or were they just helping me because they had to?

A bitter taste made itself known in my mouth and a scowl that was all too familiar made its way to my face. My old self was surfacing again. I needed to keep it together. The best way to do that was to get back to the matter at hand. Moving towards the rope, I hung off of it and began to pull myself across the chasm. The shaking of the rope let me know that the others were right behind me.

Upon reaching the other side of the chasm, I made sure to be careful as I pulled myself up onto the slippery ledge. "Did everyone make it okay?" I asked, grabbing Faie's hand to help her up.

"I'm good," she said.

"Yup," Link said from behind her.

"Nope." Dark pulled himself up on the ledge, a frown on his face. It was so pitiful looking, I couldn't help but laugh. "I dropped my wallet in the chasm… I almost had enough money to—"

"Shh!" Link hissed.

The shadow demon looked at his original with a hurt look on his face. "Did you just shush me? He just shushed me!"

My ears perked up suddenly, having heard a noise. It sounded like muffled voices—no—just one voice. "Shh."

"Great! Now Callisto's shushing me!"

I turned to Link. "Do you hear that too?" I asked. He nodded. "Good," I looked off towards the sound. "I'm not crazy then."

"What exactly do you two hear?" Faie inquired.

"A voice."

"A child's voice," Link amended. "A lonely child's voice… We've got to find it."

Link and I took off towards the voice, the others racing after us. We ignored their pleas of slowing down in favor of tracking the voice. This was no place for a child. And judging by the look on Link's face, he felt just as strongly as I did about this. No child should be alone.

We ran and ran, not stopping for anything. Finally, we hit a dead end. And in that dead end was a boy. He was sitting underneath a makeshift shelter held together by dry rotted poles, looking at us with large ice-blue eyes. Meager food was roasting over a small fire and surely wouldn't last long at all. It probably wouldn't even last him three days.

"W-Who are you people?" he asked nervously, his bottom lips quivering, but whether it was from cold or fright, I didn't know. The boy's hand shook as he moved his ash-blonde hair away from his face. "A-Are you h-here to hurt me too?"

I felt my heart break from the boy's timid words. He was terrified. I could see the fear in his icy eyes. He was all alone… like I was. With short and slow steps, I approached the boy and knelt down in front of him. Cradling his head, I brought him towards my chest and enveloped him tightly. "No, sweetheart. You're okay… you're okay."

* * *

 **Dark: Aww, Callisto, you do have a heart. First with Faie, then a total stranger.**

 **Callisto: You're just sad that it wasn't you being hugged.**

 **Dark: Right… Sure.**

 **If you two are done…**

 **Dark and Callisto: …**

 **Good. This chapter was actually really hard to write, but I'm glad I got it done. Please, rate and review.**


	9. Chapter 9

**What's this? I'm actually updating? Impossible!**

 **Mysterious Voice: But you are. Now get to it!**

 **(Salutes) Yes, O Mysterious Voice dwelling inside my brain! *Cough Cough* Demon She-Wolf *Cough Cough***

 **Anyway, I don't own Zelda. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

I pushed the child away from my chest so that he could look me in the eye. "Who are you? Why are you all alone out here?" I asked him.

Glancing away from me, a small blush appeared on the young boy's pale cheeks. "I-I am Nix, and I am nothing."

We were taken aback by the boy's sudden melancholy attitude. "Why would you say that about yourself?" Link questioned. "You're not nothing."

Nix nodded sadly. "But I am. I am nothing. Nix means nothing, and it is the name I was given to by my father."

"Why would your father do that? Where is he anyway?"

"Back at the village in his home. I am not allowed in the village. Both Father and the elder said this."

My eyebrows furrowed and a scowl made itself known on my face. "Why not? It seems pretty stupid to let you freeze out here," I said, my opinion apparent. I took my cloak off and draped it over Nix's shoulders.

"Before I was born, my father sinned. A woman of incredible beauty came to him in the night saying she loved him. She was my mother and she was a demon of desire, a succubus." Nix breathed in deeply before continuing. "She really did love him, though. I wouldn't have been conceived otherwise as the womb of a succubus is usually corrupt. That aside, I was born nine months later and my mother returned to my father in the hopes that he would take me in, but my father and his village are very superstitious. A child born of a human and a demon would surely bring disaster."

The boy began to choke up. I rubbed his back in slow, reassuring circles. "Go on," I urged. "We're listening."

Nix nodded, tears glistening in his eyes. "My father agreed reluctantly after my mother's convincing him that I was innocent. He couldn't bring himself to kill a child, but he could kill my mother easily, believing it would atone for his sin. So my mother was flogged and burned at the stake… left to die. I was taken care of to a point, and I was barely three when I was sent out of the village. Every month, I am given just enough food to survive. The village probably hopes I'll freeze out here."

A small stirring began in the back of my mind. Something wasn't adding up. "Nix? Just how old are you?" I asked.

He shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure, but I'm probably around ten or eleven summers."

Nix had been out on his own for nearly eight years. What kind of people could just leave him all alone like this? Just how heartless was the village we were about to enter? "You know," I mentioned, bringing the boy back in for another hug, "you're very bright for someone your age even with your disadvantage."

The half-incubus blushed. "I-I like to read," he stammered. "I have to steal the books, though. Sometimes I'm caught, though, and then beaten."

"That's terrible," Faie shivered. "How cruel."

Link's eyes were closed in anger. My only guess was that he didn't want Nix to see it. His fist were clenched so hard, small droplets of blood dripped from his palms. "Bastards," he growled under his breath.

"Oh, where are my manners!" Nix shouted suddenly, alarmed for some reason or another. "I completely forgot to offer you something to eat or drink!"

My heart broke at the boy's words. Despite having so little and suffering so much just because of what he was, he was still kind and considerate if not a little shy and cautious. He was… just like me… only… he wasn't letting his heritage get to him. Mine was slowly eating me away. I watched as he scurried around the small enclosure, throwing herbs of all kinds into a kettle over the small fire to make a tea of sorts. Having let it steep for a time, we were all served our share.

Sipping at the homemade tea gingerly, I blanched at the taste, hoping my face wasn't showing my distaste. Removing the mug from my lips, I stared at the watered down, brown liquid inside. Did Nix drink this all the time? Was this the norm for him?

No more. It was then decided that there would be no more of this nonsense of cursed children and disastrous matings with demons. Nix's people were going to learn the truth even if it killed me.

* * *

Anger clouded my vision as I stomped my way into Mynas Grove, ready to pound some sense into the people there. Nix tugged on the ends of my duster, begging me not to confront his people. "Please!" he pleaded. "I don't want them to hurt you!"

Ignoring the struggling boy, I marched into the center of the town with my hands on my hips. "Oi!" I bellowed with authority. "Who here is the village elder?!"

An older man hobbled towards me, leaning most of his weight on his cane. "That would be me," he smacked, the long beard at his chin shaking each time the man's jaw moved. "What… er… can I do for you?"

Grabbing one of Nix's wrists, I pulled the half-demon out from behind me, displaying him to the village. "What kind of sick person leaves a child in a cave to starve and freeze for eight years?"

The village elder's eyes widened from behind his glasses. His old, decrepit body tensed. "I… uh…" he mumbled incoherently, holding his cane out like a shield. "I've never… I've never seen this child before."

Link growled, the noise coming out low and inhuman. "Don't give us any nonsense! We can tell if you lie or not."

Thin and stringy eyebrows furrowed in anger and frustration, the old man becoming defensive as a crowd of people gathered all around us. "Okay! So what if we left the child on his own? He is the unholy offspring of lust and corruption! That… That child is an abomination!"

"The only abomination here is you, old man," Faie snarled. From the look on her face, Faie wanted the man to burn. She wanted to roast him till only his bones remained. I wholeheartedly agreed.

The crowd pushed in on us to the point of claustrophobia, and I immediately knew that this would not end well. One way or another, blood would be drawn.

The sound of a blade being drawn proved me right almost instantly. I caught the gleam of the metal coming down from the corner of my eye, but the assaulting weapon suddenly stopped. The attacker had frozen, his sword still high over his head, eyes wide. Dark was standing in front of him, his own sword drawn, pointing at the man's throat. "Ah, ah, ah," Dark berated. "It's rude to interrupt a conversation."

I turned my gaze back to the village elder, my eyebrow risen and my mouth curved in a triumphant smirk. "Well, then. I believe we have gotten our point across. But before we go, I have one question."

The elder scoffed, testing my patience to the fullest. "And what makes you think we'll help you after all that?"

With a sigh, I drew my pistol and pointed it at the man. He took a step back in surprise. "Oh, just a hunch," I replied in a singsong voice.

"Fine, fine! What is it?"

I smiled and holstered my gun. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it? Anyway, news has spread of a strange man's appearance. Have any of you seen him? Do you know where he went?"

A woman from the crowd stepped forward. Her legs shook as she walked. "Y-Yes," she stuttered. "He wanted to get back to another world, as he called it. We sent him to the Lost Woods."

"The Lost Woods?"

The woman nodded nervously, her eyes darting side to side. Was she anxious about something? "A portal that opens to parallel dimensions periodically is supposedly hidden there. W-We told him there was a possibility of him going back to his world from there."

"Well, I'll be damned," Link murmured.

"What?" I asked incredulously.

The werewolf groaned. "My village isn't far from there… We have to backtrack. I hate backtracking."

With a roll of my eyes and a groan of my own, I turned back to the terrible imp-of-a-man. How I wished to enact my fury upon him. Nix must have sensed this, for he released his hold on my duster, backing off. "Since we've settled all the current matters at hand, we'll be leaving now. We got what we came for. Oh, and we'll be taking Nix with us."

The village elder suddenly smiled, showing off the few and yellowing teeth he had left. A wheezy cackle came from his cracked lips. "No, no," he said, his smile growing, "I don't think you will."

Before I had time to question what he meant, blinding pain pierced the back of my head, and I fell forward into the snow. With blurry vision, I could just barely make out the others limp forms on the ground in a similar state to my own. I reached towards the back of my head and felt a warm and sticky substance matting my hair down; blood. I had been hit… we had been hit… by what, I didn't know. All I knew was that I was tired and I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer.

* * *

My head pounded and my ears rung as I tried to make sense of where I was. My eyes didn't want to open and everything sounded muffled, as if I were underwater. What was going on? Where was I?

"…to…llisto!"

 _What is that? It sounds so familiar… is that my name being called? Who's calling me?_

"Callisto! You have to wake up!"

 _Is that Link?_ Trying my hardest to open my eyes, I was rewarded by darkness, flickering torches serving as the only form of light. My chest heaved as I sucked down a greedy breath of air, the coldness of it making my lungs burn.

"Callisto!"

Turning my head, I searched for the werewolf calling out my name only to see him with his hands tied above his head. The others shared his fate, all of them suspended over the ground. What was going on? I went to move towards them when I noticed the bindings hindering my movements. I was tied to a post!

My mind finally processing the severity of the situation brought everything into perspective, my memories rushing back to me. I searched frantically for a way out of my bindings, not liking how the villagers were eyeing me in the slightest. Everything made sense now. The woman from earlier was worried that she would ruin the plan to knock us out while she distracted us. And Nix wasn't afraid of me… he was afraid of the villagers… Wait, where was Nix?

 _He must have run off,_ my mind supplied.

The sounds of wood being dropped drew my attention to a man throwing timber onto a steadily growing pile surrounding me. He was greasy looking now, but he was probably quite the looker back in the day. The man looked up at me, surprised to see that I was awake. "It's your own fault," he told me. "If you would have stayed out of it and left the brat to himself, you wouldn't be in this situation. Ah, but we have both messed up, haven't way. That brat is my fault, after all."

Was this man, Nix's father?

"Ah, but you would have gotten what you deserve in the long run anyway. The reign of your kind will end, starting with you and your friends, and ending with your princess."

"Our reign?" My voice came out hoarsely, the tone rough and breaking. My mouth was really dry.

The man grinned. "The supernatural reign, of course! We know now how to recognize one of you, yes! Oh, I can't wait to see you burn! Perhaps, now my sins will be atoned for!"

With widening eyes, I finally made the connection between me tied to the post and the pile of wood. This was a pyre! I was going to be burned at the stake!

* * *

The next hour was spent in two ways: the pile of wood growing around me and my mind racing with the thought of the inevitability. I had long ago stopped trying to figure out what Link and the others were telling me once the gags had been shoved into their mouths a half hour ago. There was nothing else to do but wait.

It couldn't have been more than ten minutes later when the village elder approached me. "I hope you're ready, m'dear. You are about to be made an example to not only your friends, but the world. We have pictoboxes at the ready… ready to broadcast your demise to all supernatural kind. I must thank you for this. It's because of you the true Hylians will regain power."

Despite my attempts, I couldn't stop the tears that came flooding up from my depths. "Y-You're You're sick!" I hissed.

The elder grabbed my chin, squishing my cheeks with his craggy hands. "Ah, not so tough now, are you? Your unruly mask has cracked now that you've seen just how helpless you really are." His face came closer to mine, and I was forced to smell his rancid breath. "You're pathetic in the face of real danger. And the world will be happy once you are gone, witch!"

Turning away from me, the elder hobbled away as the gaps in the wood pile were filled. He snapped his fingers and multiple torches were sent flying towards me. One hit me on my chest, the flames scorching my skin before falling into the timbers with its siblings. The wood pile burst into flames, and I was forced to meet with my fate.

This was the end; the end of Callisto Van Helsing.

* * *

 **It's a little shorter than I originally wanted, but it will do. Don't worry, the next chapter will definitely be longer than this one. Oh, and sorry for the cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist.**

 **I hope your happy and your boredom is relieved Demon She-Wolf. Sorry, it took so long to update.**

 **Please, rate and review. And that means you too, D.S.W.!**


	10. Chapter 10

**So, uh, yeah. Left you guys in a tense spot for a couple of months… and I thought to myself that maybe I should update this.**

 **So anyway, this is for you guys!... Please don't hurt me.**

 **I don't own Zelda.**

* * *

It's almost strange how one thinks of how they might die one day. Everyone does it. But no one actually knows how or when it's going to happen. I certainly never thought that I, a powerful hunter of the supernatural, would die by the people I had sworn to protect. I had never thought that burning at the stake would be such a fitting end to me.

 _I don't want to die…_

I never thought that I would actually want to see my mother, whoever and wherever she is, before I died.

 _I'm scared…_

I never thought that I, in all my years of abuse and abandonment, could ever feel more alone than I did now.

 _Help…_

* * *

My eyes bolted open at the sounds of people screaming in fear. What were they worried about? They weren't the ones tied to a post to be burned.

I watched through the scorching flames as all the villagers scattered, fleeing to their homes. Only the village elder remained, baring his cane towards… Fae? Was that even Fae? She looked so different.

If this truly was Fae before me, she was in some kind of half transformation. From the elbow down, her arms were scaly claws, and judging from the frayed ropes that had bound her, Fae had easily sliced through them. A long tail had ripped through her trousers, the orange spearhead tip gleaming in the sun. Even Fae's wings were out, their large proportions seeming awkward to her small body while still giving her an elegant and powerful look. Fangs bared, she cut through the ropes binding the boys before turning her snarl on the elder.

"It's people like you that make me sick!" she seethed. With the assistance of her wings, Fae leapt towards me, diving straight into the fire. For a moment, I was worried that she'd burn, but then my brain quickly supplied the information that Fae was indeed a fire dragon. And what a magnificent sight it was to see the flames dance around the small winged girl, merely caressing her body instead of burning it to a crisp.

Fae reached her arms towards me, slashing at my ropes before easing me over her shoulder. She was a lot stronger than she looked. "How are you like this?" I wondered, coughing violently.

The dragon girl smiled at me from over her shoulder. "Lots of practice."

In that moment, I was both grateful for Fae saving me and jealous of her all at the same time. I had shifter blood in me as well, yet I had never shifted a day in my life. Was it even at all possible? And why did I suddenly care that she could do something I could not? Was I starting to like my werewolf lineage?

Carrying me out of the fire, Fae handed me off to Link who awaited me with open arms. "Get her out of here, Link."

"What're you planning, Fae?" Link inquired.

She smirked. "Don't worry about. Dark and I will meet up with you later."

Dark returned the smirk in his own way. "Right."

Without having to be told twice, Link darted off towards the mines, clutching me tightly in his arms.

* * *

I fought against the pull of sleep, determined to stay awake. My skin itched where I had been burned, and the top layer kept trying to peel. I may heal fast, but there was no way I could heal if the skin peeled off and the second layer got infected.

Link picked up the pace as he noticed my drowsiness. "Don't fall asleep now," he said. "It'll be harder to give you aid if you fall asleep and become dead weight. I mean you're already heavy enough as it is."

A weak smile stretched across my lips and I lightly smacked the werewolf's shoulder. "You're one to talk," I retorted tiredly. "You're as heavy as lead."

"There's the fire I was looking for." Link's feet kicked up more snow as he ran even faster to the mines. He only slowed down when we finally crossed the icy threshold. He ran back to the small cavern, skidding to a stop, his eyes landing on the small and trembling form of Nix. "There you are," Link said. "I was afraid you were caught up in the fighting."

Nix looked up, ice blue eyes wide. "Y-You're not mad that I ran?" he asked timidly.

"Of course not," Link answered. "You're only a child. You were scared." He looked around the cavern briefly. "If you really want to make up for it, though, grab a blanket and lay it out on the floor."

The child got up swiftly, scrambling to lay out one of the blankets he had acquired of the years. Link set me down on the blanket as to not make me cold before he began stripping me of my coat and shirt. "Nix, go wait outside for a few moments, would you?" Once the incubus child had left, Link continued stripping me out of the rest of my burnt clothes until I was left in my underwear. "Forgive me," he said, apologizing.

Reaching inside his enchanted pockets, Link pulled out a jar of salve. "What is that?" I asked.

"It's a cream to treat the burns. I'll bandage them after that." Link scooped a generous amount of cream onto his fingertips and began slathering it onto my burns. I shivered from the sensation of his fingers ghosting across my skin. It felt… nice… and I wasn't talking completely about the cream.

My eyes grew heavy, and I felt myself drifting off. "So tired," I moaned.

Link, his cheeks tinted red from what I assumed was the cold, nodded. "Then sleep. You'll be okay from here on out, but I'll wake you if something goes wrong."

"Ngh… Link…"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks…" I fell asleep.

* * *

I don't know how long I was asleep for; maybe a couple minutes at the most before I was awoken by Link. He came back with some dried meats and blankets. He was about to take a bite when his eyes met mine.

"Sorry," he said. "Did I wake you?"

Lying, I shook my head no. "I couldn't sleep," I continued. "What are you doing?"

Link shrugged. "I got some more blankets from our packs and some food." He quickly draped a blanket over me, taking a bite of his jerky. "Did you want some?" he asked. Again, I shook my head. Turning to the small fire burning in the pit, I held my hands out to warm them. Link suddenly spoke up again. "How did you get them? The scars on your back?"

I froze, not only from the cold, but also from surprise. My shoulders tensed as I drew the blanket tighter around myself. "You… You, uh, saw those, huh?" Link stayed silent as I hunkered further down into the blanket, wanting to hide myself from him. "They're nothing," I dismissed.

Taking slow and deliberate steps towards me, Link sat down and pulled me so that my head rested on his right shoulder. He uncurled me from the blanket only to join me inside. He hugged me tight to his body, nearly drawing my breath away.

 _What? What is he doing? What is this strange feeling?_ I wondered.

"It's okay," Link whispered in my ear, his voice husky. "You can tell me."

I felt my cheeks heat up from a blush, and I my chest tingled with a warm feeling. I was light and my head was fuzzy. I found that I wanted to tell Link how I had gotten my scars, but I couldn't do that. That would involve delving into a past that I'd much rather forget than remember. "They're from old wounds during my childhood," I sighed, unable to keep myself from speaking. "Like I've said before, my world isn't excepting to anything strange or different including people." Looking into the fire, I watched as the flames danced, they reds and oranges swirling around each other, a hint of blue at the bed of the flames. "When I was young, weak, and foolish, multiple attempts on my life were made by both brainwashed children and the adults who raised them. I can't even begin to count how many times I sat at the kitchen table for father to patch me up."

The only thing I could hear from the werewolf was the steady beating of his heart and his panting breaths. When he did speak next, I found myself surprised. Not so much at the question itself, but at the questions it invoked in me. "Why did you protect the people who despised you so much and not the ones who suffered?"

 _Did I do the right thing by protecting the human purists—the prejudice people of my world?_

"I suppose I did it because it was all I knew. My father taught me to protect the people and what they stood for. When I went to train at the Order at the age of seven, I was taught that all supernatural were merciless, evil monsters—and that included myself. I was considered evil, but I wanted to be good. So I followed the teachings of the Order blindly, questioning nothing as I so wanted to be looked at like a good person." I wanted to be treated equally. "Now that I think about it, I really did only go after the terrible supernatural. The Order must have sent other hunters to deal with ones I would have moralistic problems dealing with. I almost don't want to go back now."

There was a pregnant silence, and Link threaded our fingers together. "Then don't," he suggested. I went to turn my gaze to the werewolf and look at him as if he were a crazy person, but Link beat me to the punch when he grabbed my chin with his fingers and forced me to look at him. "Stay here… with me… This world would be so much better for you and you would be so much better for it. I would be so much better for you staying." Link's face drew closer, now mere inches from my own. "You'd be treated with respect here. You wouldn't be alone."

"Link, I can't," I argued, drawing away from him. "If I don't go back with Colonel Cato, who will teach the world the error of their ways? Who will teach them that not all supernatural are bad people?"

Link's finely arched eyebrows furrowed in anger. "That's a load of bull, and you know it," he growled. "Who would listen to you? Who would listen to the person you'd want to kill? Tell me the real reason!"

"I don't want to get involved in something that will never last…"

"Callisto!"

My heart beating rapidly and my insecurities rising up as the argument escalated, I shouted out my reason… the true reason. "I'm scared, okay?!" Link grew quiet as I continued to ramble. "I don't want to be hurt anymore. I don't want to get attached to something only for it to be snatched away. I don't want anyone else to leave me. I don't—"

Firm, yet soft lips were suddenly planted on mine, silencing me in an instant. My eyes were wide and wet with tears as Link deepened the kiss, taking advantage of my surprise. He held me close, like he thought I would disappear and his tongue swiped at my lips, begging for interest, and I wanted to comply. Oh, did I ever want to comply!

This would never last…

Link broke off the kiss, rubbing my tears away with his thumb. He was about to lean in again when the sound of Dark's and Fae's voices met our ears. We jumped apart, but we weren't quick enough.

"So we just scared the—what's going on here?" the shadow demon interrupted himself to question our current and awkward position. A sly grin spread across his and Fae's faces. "Oh, I get it," Dark said smugly. "Link, you dog!"

I growled low. "Shut the hell up!"

Fae held up her tiny hands. "No need to get snappy." The dragon turned to her partner in crime, elbowing him in the ribs with a smirk. "Come one, Dark. Let's leave the lovebirds alone, shall we?"

When the two had cleared the mine cavern, I stood up and began pulling on my, now, burnt clothes. I stuck my hand into my pocket feeling nothing but ashes were the page from my father's journal had been. I sighed.

"I meant what I said, Callisto," Link said from behind me, almost alarming me as I dressed. I looked at him from over my shoulder, my thick side-braid slipping over. "Please stay."

"I can't," I reiterated. "Link, I am not a kind or compassionate person. I barely have enough morals to know that I am a terrible and selfish person. You don't want me."

I left the cavern without another word, trying my best to ignore the chocked sob I heard behind me.

* * *

 **So many things going on in this chapter. I really hope you guys like it, and I hope you guys are starting to see the rising problems that conflict with the characters' emotions.**

 **Please rate and review.**


	11. Chapter 11

**I'm not going to waste time with the author note formalities. Let's just jump right in.**

 **I do not own Zelda. Enjoy.**

* * *

Nix ended up coming with us, nearly in tears at the thought of us leaving him to the villagers… not like I would allow that anyway. I would have forced the kid to come with us in any other situation.

Despite my reluctance to continue up the mountain, Faie insisted. She didn't want to leave Zora's Domain a frozen wasteland—determined to find the cause of the cold weather and fix it—while I just wanted to find Cato and get the hell out of dodge. Needless to say, Faie won our argument.

Now, instead of sitting comfortably in Iza's cabin down at the base of the mountain, we were traveling up to the summit. Just what was going to be up there was beyond me. I wasn't even sure if there was going to be anything up there at all. Everyone else was more than certain.

Trudging up the mountain, snow seeping into my boots as it was up to my knees, I found myself tripping over hidden obstacles. The latest trip happened to be over a stone that ended up with me face first in the snow. Picking myself up, I swore like a sailor, ignoring the way my companions looked at me with horror for my atrocious language in front of a child.

"Do you guys have a staring problem?" I couldn't help asking, irritated.

I pretty much asked for it when Dark replied next. "Yeah, my face kind freezes when I see something ugly." The demon smirked, however, it was quickly wiped off of his face by the snowball I hurled at him. Dark panicked, desperately shaking the snow off of his face. "Oi!" he shouted.

I proceeded to laugh and point. "Ha! Serves you right!"

"Oh, yeah!" the demon countered, bending over to gather and pack snow in his hands. He stood upright. "I'll show you!" A snowball was chucked at my face, narrowly missing me thanks to my swift reflexes. "Damn," Dark swore.

"You'll have to better than that!" I retorted tauntingly, throwing another snowball Dark's way. With a yelp of surprise, he dodged; as for my snowball… well, that hit Faie.

The little dragon turned red with anger. "What. The. Hell?!" she yelled. "Have we not learned that I do not like the cold?!" With all her might, Faie threw a snowball at me, only for it to drop in altitude significantly and nail Dark in the back of the head. "Oops," the dragon chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, Dark."

"Oh, you will be sorry." Dark's next snow ball managed to it Link, some of the snow falling down his shirt. What I learned today was that Dark had terrible aim.

"Dark," Link growled.

"Snowball fight!" Nix yelled happily and excitedly. It was nice to see a smile on the usually somber kid. Joining in our little battle, the incubus child gathered as much snow as he could building a wall.

I dove behind his improvised wall and smiled. "Mind if I join you?" Nix only smiled. Peeking my head from up over the wall, I yelled, "I'm on Nix's team!"

Dark threw a snowball before diving behind Faie. "I'm on Faie's team then!"

"Oh, sure," the dragon groaned. "The worst snowballer here decides to join my team and use me as a shield… great."

Link threw his hands up in the air. "What about me? The teams are uneven."

My head jerked backwards as I laughed. Throwing a snowball at the opposing team, I snorted. "Link, you're a full-blooded werewolf. You could probably take us all out."

And so the battle began.

* * *

I don't think I have to say that it was Link who won… as I knew it would be… full-blooded werewolf. We were no match.

After our little snowball match, we continued up the Snowpeak mountain range, more determined than ever to get to the top. And with our determination came—surprise, surprise!—a dead end.

"Now what?" Dark asked. "We're not even on the highest mountain in the range, which is where I assume we want to go, and yet we've hit a dead end."

I began to look around the mountain top we were on. Walking over to an extended ledge, I breathed in deeply, inhaling the scents of the cold wind and pine. If this place wasn't so dangerous, it would be a great resort. It would have one hell of a view at the very least.

Turning back to rejoin my companions, I began to take notice of how deep the snow actually was. Mountains of snow covered the pine trees, hiding their trunks and making them appear small. Could it be possible that the path that needed to be taken was buried? I began to search, noticing a dark indention in the snow.

"Hey, look there," I said to the others, pointing at the dark indention. "What's that?" Kneeling down in the deep snow, I began to dig, my hand feeling a cavernous space on the other side of the snow. "I think there's a cave here, maybe a path… Help me dig."

The others came to my side to join me and we dug through the snow, sifting through the white powder for what seemed like hours. The cold was biting, wet seeping into my gloves, by the time we managed to make an opening big enough to squeeze through.

"It is a cave," Faie noted. "Maybe there's a way through here to the other peak."

"Perhaps. It's better than just sitting here at the very least," Link agreed, shimmying his way through the hole. "Come on," he said on the other side. "Let's go."

We followed Link one by one, Dark bringing up the rear. As was predicted, we emerged in a cave, possibly a tunnel—more than likely—that stretched through the mountain. Link took the lead, pressing us onward. We remained vigilant, keeping on our toes. Who knows what could be hibernating here?

It became clear that this tunnel was man-made as we came across a ladder leading up to a series of stone ridges. Climbing the ladder and the stone ridges, we came to a wall of vines leading even higher. No doubt this tunnel would get us to where we needed to go.

Situating Nix on his back, Link started to climb, the rest of us quickly following. Pulling ourselves up to the top of the ledge, a door came in sight, a massive set of handprints stained on the stone. Dark placed his hand hesitantly over one of the prints. "What could have possibly made these?" he questioned.

The werewolf in front of me shrugged, Nix bouncing on his shoulders. "A yeti?" he suggested.

Dark scowled. "Come on, man! I'm being serious here!"

"I am too," Link glowered. "Iza did warn us that some dwelled on the mountain."

"Yeah, but that's just a tourist trap; a hoax." A pregnant silence ensued, a flood of emotions filtering over the shadow demon's face before settling on nervous fear. He looked at all of us. "Right?"

I shrugged, watching as the incubus child was set on the ground. "Who's to say?"

Shuddering, Dark rubbed at his arms. "That does not make me feel any better."

The two men gripped the door and pushed it to the side, holding it open so that Faie, Nix, and myself could leave the cave. We found ourselves at the top of Snowpeak itself. A cold wind blew and my body was wracked with small tremors as the fog began to roll in. "We made it," I gasped, acclimating myself to the thin air. Turning in circles, I looked around the snowy peak. "Where to now, though? There's nothing here."

Faie's head drooped. "I-I don't know," she admitted. "I would have thought there would have been something here, something magical? I thought I sensed something before, but now… I just don't know."

It saddened me to see the usually fiery dragon-kin so downtrodden. "Why don't we look around?" I volunteered. "Maybe we're missing something."

"Yeah!" Nix said, chipper and seemingly unaffected by the cold… of course kids usually run hot. "You're a dragon, right, Faie?" At the girl's nod, Nix smiled. "So you can't be wrong. Something must be here… after all, dragons can sense magical artifacts."

"Right," I established with the child. "He's right."

Faie perked up. "Yeah," she finally said. "Let's look around."

With a deep inhale and exhale, I took my first steps and began my search, the others doing the same in different directions. However… I hadn't even taken ten steps when I slipped on a patch of ice and fell. I slid for a moment before finally stopping. I groaned and rubbed my bottom. "Why me?"

"Callisto! Are you okay!" Dark called out.

Still rubbing my butt, I nodded. "Yeah," I confirmed. "Just slipped on a patch of ice." Standing up, I began to brush myself off when I heard a gasp. My head snapped towards the sound. "What?" I asked the dragon girl, confused.

Faie pointed. "That's not just a patch of ice."

Looking down, I swore through my teeth. What was originally thought to be just a frozen puddle was actually a shaft, a thin layer of ice frozen over a dark tunnel. A very thin layer, I might add.

"Callisto," Link warned, now in a crouch. "Don't move."

"Like I was planning on it!" I snapped, the ice beneath me emitting a sudden sharp sound. I grimaced, my heart leaping up into my throat. I just knew I was going to fall. As Link inched his way towards me, his body tense, I brought my hand up to my neck and removed the Forming Rose from my choker. I scowled seeing it withered in my hand. The damn thing couldn't function in the cold when I needed it most.

The ice unexpectedly cracked and popped again. I looked up, desperation and fear shining through my yellowy eyes. "Link," I whimpered, my instincts automatically seeking solace in the strong male. I yelped, feeling myself sink as the ice cracked more.

"Shh," Link cooed. "It'll be alright. You'll see."

My wolf—though usually dormant—screamed at me to run to the strong male before us… to take comfort in him. But I knew better. If I moved, I would be sent down who know how far.

Then, the ice abruptly gave way. I screamed and clamped my eyes shut, falling down the narrow shaft. Something grabbed me as I fell, strong limbs wrapping around me—strong arms embracing me—protecting me…

Link.

Darkness enveloped us, hiding everything and nothing.

 _THUMP!_

* * *

 **Yes, I know it was short, but I think I'm going to end this chapter here. Rest assured, our supernatural friends are fine. You'll just have to see where they are in the next chapter.**

 **Please, please, please, PLEASE review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Been awhile, huh? Sorry about that. Things have gotten away from me and then some. Anyway, I'm sure D.S.W. will appreciate this.**

 **Let's get started.**

 **I do not own Zelda.**

* * *

Everything ached and my head felt like it would burst. With a groan I sat up, freezing as I heard a pained gasp. I looked beside me and felt shock overtake me.

Link.

The werewolf had jumped in the shaft after me and had broken my fall. "Link!" I exclaimed, crawling to his side. He wasn't moving, but he was breathing. Link's legs were bent at awkward angles and a stalagmite—tite—mite had pierced his side, blood flowing from both that and a laceration on his head.

I swore, every curse I knew flying from my mouth. I immediately began ripping up parts of my clothes, though they were more than a little charred, so that I could use them as bandages. But first, I had to set his legs and remove that hunk of rock keeping him in place. Luckily, I wasn't very wide in circumference, just tall.

Letting out a breath, I found a stray piece of wood and placed it in Link's mouth, making his teeth clench it tightly. "Okay, Link. Let's do this. And for the record, sorry about all of this." I grabbed both of Link's legs and pulled hard. The werewolf awakened momentarily to scream around the piece of wood, his fangs burying deep within. I moved quickly and used all my might to break off most of the stalagmite, ignoring Link's cries with a pained heart. He fell unconscious again as I moved him off the broken rock.

Scrambling for the makeshift bandages, I began to staunch the flow of blood pouring from Link's side. I tied off his wound and worked on bracing his legs with the sheaths from our swords. I'd have to carry the swords in my belt without their sheaths, which wasn't the safest, but it was the only way. Tying the last bandage around Link's head, I sighed and sat down beside the werewolf. He would heal, but it would take time.

Looking up at the shaft we had fallen down, I frowned. Faie and Dark were surely trying to figure out a way to save us, but the shaft was too narrow for them to come down safely. I needed to find another way out. Thankfully, the shaft we had fell down was connected to what appeared to be a series of tunnels. Maybe there was a way out?

Standing back up, I hoisted Link up on my back, draping his arms over my shoulders and I held underneath his legs. He would be out a white yet and there was no way he was walking when he woke up anyway. I began to head down the tunnels, praying for a way out.

* * *

I walked down the tunnels, my boots making loud crunches on the frozen ground. Link, still unconscious on back, groaned as I rearranged him to prevent him from slipping. My breath came out in pants, visible in the cold air. Speaking of the cold, it was finally starting to set in.

"Come on," I complained as the path widened into a dome-like room before revealing three new tunnels. "What do I do now?"

Setting Link down as gently as I could, I huddled up next to him, trying to share body heat. I huffed into my hands, wishing for some way to make a fire. With tired eyes, I looked up towards the top of the "dome." The ice at the top was thin, but still too thick to break through, judging from the gigantic shadows moving over it. Someone or something was walking over it.

My eyelids felt heavy.

 _No,_ I told myself. _You can't fall asleep. You have to stay awake._

Closing the distance between me and the werewolf, I shivered violently. It was time to try the unthinkable; magic.

I held my hands close together, palms facing each other. I thought of anything and everything that was hot, hoping for a spark of… well, anything. But when nothing happened, I slumped backwards and snuggled up to Link. Leave it to the one time that I actually wished for my magic to work for it to not. I gazed at Link's face, noting the reddened cheeks and nose. He was cold… I was too.

Resting my head against Link's chest, listening to the sounds of his beating heart, I felt depressed. It was obvious that we were both putting on brave faces earlier today. You could cut the tension between us with a knife. It was definitely unwanted tension.

Every word I had spoken to the werewolf was true, though I may not wish it was.

 _Link deserves better,_ I thought sleepily, my eyes shutting indefinitely. _Link deserves all that this life can give._

* * *

Heat trickled through me, seemingly from nowhere. My heart beat hard and fast, my beastly genetics making sure to pump warm blood through me as a means of revival. They wouldn't let me stay asleep… not in a situation such as this.

With a loud and drawn out groan, I attempted to pick myself up. My fingers curled in on themselves, the frost covering the purple-turning skin cracking. _How long was I actually asleep?_ My eyes opened with a noticeable pop, breaking the frozen seal. I cried out, forcing the rest of my body to move with me.

I felt my heart kick into overdrive as even more heat coursed through me, more like a flood now compared to the trickling stream from earlier. I would not succumb to the cold and die… not today. My gaze, though stiff, moved to the still unconscious werewolf. I couldn't afford to die when he needed me most.

I pulled Link up onto my back, almost feeling jealous at the amount of heat he was still putting off. Being a pureblooded werewolf sure had its perks.

Continuing down the through the icy catacombs, I let Link's heat seep through my back, enjoying the way he hunkered down and how he nosed at my neck. Despite the heat the werewolf was unknowingly sharing with me, I was bitterly cold. My breath came out in icy pants and my adrenaline was wearing off, fatigue slipping over me once again.

A light suddenly blinded me, almost sending me reeling. I blinked rapidly to clear my vision before darting into a shadowy alcove. "What?" I gasped, my throat sore and my voice raspy.

I wasn't sure if it was the light or my voice that woke the werewolf, but when Link stirred, I jumped and nearly dropped him. Setting him down against the icy wall gently, I patted his face. "Ah," he breathed, his chapped lips peeling open. "Ca-Callisss… to?"

"Hey," I grinned, clearing my throat after. I stroked the top of Link's head. "That was pretty stupid of you, jumping after me like that."

"Couldn't… let you die."

"Who said I would die?"

"Couldn't die," he repeated. "I couldn't let you die." He was delirious.

With a sigh, I stopped my tutting. "I would have survived. I've survived much worse." I didn't let the werewolf in on my almost demise from freezing to death. I went to stand up, only to stop as Link clasped my hand hard, surprising me.

"No!" he roared, pulling me, half transformed. I was squashed to Link's chest, his arms wrapping around me tightly. "No," he said again. "I needed to know that you'd be safe. I _couldn't_ let you die."

I gulped, my face smooshed against Link, his heart beating at my ear. "Link," I breathed. "Let me go." I felt something warm and sticky on my hand. No doubt blood. "You're disturbing your wounds."

"I don't care."

"Well, I do," I insisted. "If you die, it's on my head. Faie would roast me alive after Dark got done spearing me on skewers."

Link grew silent. You could have heard a pin drop and shatter in the icy cave. "Is that the only reason you care?" he finally asked.

My throat dried out, and I hesitated. "Yes," I lied.

"Liar." Despite calling out my bluff, the werewolf released me from his iron grip and I practically stumbled backwards. "So where exactly are we?" he asked.

"Apparently caves run all around the mountain and we fell into some. There's was no way to get back up the way we fell, so I decided to press forward."

"And besides me waking up, why did we stop? You seemed a little surprised even before I woke up."

I nodded at Link's words. "There's something up ahead, though I'm not sure what."

Sitting up, Link ripped the sheaths from his legs, handing mine back to me. He rubbed down his legs before attempting to stand. His legs shook, but he was otherwise able to support himself. Link took slow careful steps, a faint limp in his walk.

Werewolf perks.

Link exited the alcove I had situated us in and peeked around the corner wincing at the bright light still being emitted beyond. "What is that?" he asked. Shading his eyes, Link moved towards the light. I followed behind immediately, watching for a falter in Link's steps more than for whatever was making the light. "Can you feel that? That hum?"

A spark struck me like lightning. "It's magic." The gentle hum of energy was almost familiar in a way. It was like it was speaking to me… or the magic side of me anyway. The magic washed over me like a warm blanket and I suddenly found myself feeling better… energized even. It felt… safe.

Rounding the last corner, the object we searched for was revealed, the light dying down as it had only been reflecting off the ice. It was a gem?

"Extraordinary," Link exclaimed.

Had I missed something? Was this little gem the magic I was sensing or something? I voiced my concerns.

"Precisely that," he admitted. Picking up the pearl-like gem, the green energy illuminating the palm of his gloved hand, Link handed it to me. "That is a Goddess Pearl."

I grew even more confused. "A Goddess Pearl?" I asked, admiring the beautiful round pearl. I had never seen a green one before. "What's that?"

Link smiled excitedly, taking the pearl back. "Legend has it that every time one of the Golden Goddesses cry, a pearl with their magic forms and falls to the earth to be entrusted to a Great Fairy. This one belongs to Farore judging by the green color."

My brow furrowed. "Well, if that's the case, where's the fairy?"

The excitement that has possessed Link's face changed to a look of horror. He began to look around the small area we were standing in. A sense of realization overcame him. "This was a Fairy Fountain," he gasped. Link's head drooped, his bangs covering his face. He walked to a pillar of ice and ran his hand down it. "Everything is frozen. I hope the fairy got out okay."

I touched Link's shoulder gently. "I'm sure she did," I smiled. "Now, we need to worry about getting out of here before _we_ freeze."

Link nodded, handing the pearl to me. "Farore's pearl is blessed with the power of teleportation. This one, however, only has enough magic left for one more trip."

"So what do we do?"

"Think of where we need to go."

I raised a finger in objection. "But where _do_ we need to go?"

Link stroked his chin, absentmindedly shifting from foot to foot. "Perhaps we should think of the others. I must warn you, though. Supposedly the trip is a more rough with the less magic available."

"Right."

Grabbing my hand, Link intertwined our fingers, the pearl in between our palms. We closed our eyes and began to think. We thought about Dark and Faie, hopefully to go to their location. Unfortunately, my thoughts began to wander. If this was a teleportation device, shouldn't I be able to use it to go home.

A bright green light surrounded us. The pearl was working, and yet… something was off. "Callisto!" Link yelled. "What did you think of?!"

I swore. My thoughts of home were interfering with our mission. I quickly rerouted my thoughts, thinking of my friends and going to them. The light around us grew brighter and I suddenly felt nauseous, my head light. The world went dark.

* * *

I was warm… warmer than I had been in a while. It was nice. Sitting up, I took in my surroundings, noticing the large bed I laid in. Where was I? Did I goof up the teleportation?

"YOU WAKE, UGH?!"

"What?"

* * *

 **Lots of Link and Callisto bonding in this chapter. And I sincerely apologize to you guys. I kind of tortured Link for a while there.**

 **Hmm, wonder who that voice belonged to… heh.**

 **Hope that satiated your appetite for un update. You guys can totally let me know what you think in a review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**So, uh, long time no see. Like really no see… Lots of darkness where I was at… Yeah, never mind, I don't have an excuse.**

 **Let's just get this started. I don't own Zelda, yada, yada… BREATH OF THE WILD IS AMAZING!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

I looked up with bleary eyes into the face of a monster. With a large inhale, air came rushing into my surprised body, creating a sharp feeling in my lungs that was more commonly referred to as being "winded." I rolled out of the gigantic bed I was resting in and crashed on the floor with a groan.

"YOU OKAY, UGH?"

Picking myself up off the ground, which was covered with a plush rug featuring snowflakes by the way, I reevaluated my situation. A large and hairy beast stood before me, covered in thick snow colored fur. Beastly yellow eyes, though soft in demeanor, stared down at me. It was a yeti, meaning the rumors Iza had told us were true.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. You kind of, um, took me by surprise."

The beast man shrugged. "YETO UNDERSTAND." I looked around the circular room I was in, noticing the lavish furniture that seemed just a bit too feminine for the obviously male yeti. He had a mate somewhere, and I was in their bedroom for whatever reason. "YOU COME WITH YETO. FRIENDS ARE WAITING IN PARLOR."

I had no time to question the yeti. He simply turned and put on his hat—is that a saddle?—and proceeded out a large, dropping door. I quickly followed after him, not wanting to get lost in the house. Immediately, I was met with the freezing cold and I shivered violently.

"WHEN WIFE AND YETO FOUND YOU AND LITTLE WOLF-HUMAN… THOUGHT YOU WERE DEAD. MORE PEOPLE CAME LOOKING FOR YOU AND LITTLE WOLF-HUMAN. YOU HAD STRANGE SHINY THING IN HAND. WIFE CALLED IT A… GEM?" the beast man, Yeto, explained. He was really quite loud, but his communication skills weren't as terrible as I would have thought. And he was actually pretty civil.

Sighing in relief, my breath came out in a cloud of fog. "Well, at least that means my friends made it here okay, then." I couldn't bring myself to care about the Goddess Pearl at this point. After Link's and my trip, it was pretty much useless.

My bare feet padded against the cold stones of the—manor?—and I tried to ignore the wind biting into my skin, someone having changed me out of my prior clothes. The only thing left on my body were my underclothes, which weren't particularly protective… or originally mine—who's were these?!

Finally, after weaving throughout many different passages, we arrived in a kitchen, a large pot boiling over the fire in the center of the room. Whatever was cooking in the pot teased my senses, and I found myself lifting my nose to the air, inhaling the glorious smell. I wandered over towards the food before spotting the recipe on a nearby counter.

 _Superb Soup,_ said the recipe. In it was butter, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, vegetable broth, pumpkin, cinnamon, evaporated milk, goat cheese, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and something called Reekfish. With all those ingredients, I would hope it would be superb. I didn't bother reading the recipe directions.

"UGH, YOU WANT?" Yeto didn't wait for my response. He grabbed a giant bowl and ladled the soup into it before shoving it into my hands. The yeti began pushing me out another door and into what appeared to be a drawing room. A smaller yeti—presumably Yeto's mate—and my friends were there nestled around a fireplace.

The door shut suddenly and every head turned to me. "Callisto!" my friends yelled in surprise. They jumped up and rushed at me. I started to panic as I remembered the hot soup in my hands, but they stopped right before crashing into me. "Are you okay?"

I nodded as Faie grabbed my arm worriedly, Nix throwing his arms around my waist. "When you and Link fell through the ice, we thought that was the last we saw of you. And there was no way we could have gotten down there to check with no rope, and my wings were too wide to fit down the chasm, and—"

Dark cut off the dragon girl. "It was when we heard a draft did we realize that there was a tunnel down there. We figured if you both survived the fall, which we knew you would… being werewolves and all, we'd probably find you eventually. Only, we didn't expect you to fall out of the sky and into the Snowpeak Manor courtyard."

My eyes widened drastically. "You mean to say, Link and I dropped out of the sky."

Dark nodded. "I imagine that had something to do with the pearl we found beside you two. It looked like a Goddess Pearl, but it's turned gray."

I moved to sit down in front of the fire. "Interesting," I drawled. That's when I noticed a lack of a certain werewolf. "Where is Link, anyway?"

"He wanted to explore the house, ugh." The smaller yeti came to stand beside me. The skin around her face was tan and she had a cute button nose and a soft smile. It looked like she was wearing a sweater that didn't have any sleeves, the quilted pattern breaking up her fur. "I'm Yeta."

I smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you and your husband, Yeta. Thank you for saving us."

Yeta giggled, her face flushing. She moved away to join Yeto at the door. She was a lot quieter than her other half.

Faie placed a hand on my shoulder. I unconsciously flinched, but otherwise didn't move away. "How are you feeling anyway?" she asked.

"I'm doing okay… a little cold, but okay… That does remind me, where's my clothes?" I replied.

Dark laughed nervously while Faie avoided eye contact with me all together. "I, uh, don't know what you mean," Dark stammered. "I mean it's not like they're completely gone or anything…"

That caught my attention. "What?" I deadpanned. "Say that again."

The shadow demon scratched the back of his head. "Well, when we found you and Link, your clothes were… um… kind of gone. I mean!—agh, that didn't come out right… They weren't actually gone, rather shredded."

"Shredded?" I reiterated questioningly. I felt my face heating up. That must have been awkward when they found me, especially for Nix.

Dark nodded. "Yeah, we really couldn't salvage anything except the weapons, so… yeah."

"Well, I suppose that explains why I am in someone else's clothes," I muttered under my breath. "Our clothes must have not have survived the trip through the Goddess Pearl." Grabbing a throw blanket from a nearby chair, I wrapped it around my shoulders. "I'm going to look for Link."

"Please, be careful, ugh," Yeta warned. "Mansion still very dangerous."

With a nod of confirmation, I headed through one of the many doors off the drawing room. I was immediately met with more cold, and I looked up, noticing the missing ceiling. The mansion really was in shambles. It was surprising it has stayed up for as long as it has.

After a brief incident on a frozen floor, I found Link in one of the numerous rooms, presumably a library. He sat a table, book laid out in front of him. He, himself, was in nothing but long underwear. Link was propped up by his arm, his fingers tapping the side of his face petulantly. "What are you doing, Link?"

Link jumped at the sound of my voice, his concentration breaking. "Holy Hell! When did you get here, Callisto?! Are you alright?"

"Just now. And yeah, I'm fine. Anyway, what are you looking for? Why didn't you hear me come in?"

With a wave of his hand, the werewolf turned back to his book. He motioned to its pages. "I was a little enraptured." He withdrew a small, gray orb from his sleeve. Was that the Goddess Pearl? "I was hoping to find a way to restore power to the Goddess Pearl." I felt some hope build up inside me. Link was trying to find a way to send me home. "They aren't worth anything unless they have power."

My world came crashing back to reality, and my mood deflated. Of course, what did I really expect? A thief will always think like a thief. "Of course," I muttered under my breath.

"What?" Link questioned, taking his eyes off the book. "Did you say something Callisto?"

I shook my head. "Nope, I didn't say anything. See ya, Link." I exited the room with a huff, the door slamming behind me. If he didn't detect that level of sarcasm, Link would be the densest idiot I would ever meet. Drawing the blanket around me tighter, I returned back to the drawing room where my friends still sat. "Where are some extra clothes?"

Faie moved to her pack that lay nestled against one of the sofas. She pulled out some clothes and handed them to me, my weapons and gear on top. "Why? What's going on?"

I bit my lip and gnawed on it persistently. "I'm… just not comfortable overstaying our welcome. And I really want to get to the Lost Woods and find Cato." It was a lie, but definitely one of my more believable ones. In truth, I just wanted to get away from Link at the moment. It was stupid to be jealous, especially over his "career," and I already wrote him off. I had no right to be mad.

My thoughts on the handsome werewolf progressed. He had practically confessed his attraction to me, and I shrugged him off. Now, I was well aware that what Link was feeling may not even be like or love but rather lust, I couldn't stop the warmth blooming in my chest at the sight of the wolf. Was this the beginnings of love or was this just a physical attraction that would pass?

"Callisto?" a timid voice asked. It was Nix. He was staring up at me, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "Are you mad at me?"

I smiled softly, bending down to rub the top of the boy's blonde head. "Of course not, sweetie," I told him. I looked around and began to whisper in his ear. "Truth is, I'm mad at Link and myself. Shh, don't tell anyone."

Nix nodded, "locking" his lips with a "key." "Got it," he said.

I headed for another room to quickly change in. I fastened all my weapons in their designated places, my saber at my left hip, my pistol on my right, a dagger hidden away here and there, and the Forming Rose on the choker around my neck. The familiar weight of my gear gave me a strange sense of comfort, like I was myself again. Despite being a little weak from our adventure in the cavern, I felt like I could do anything. That soup sure did help as well.

Returning to the drawing room, my friends were all ready to go as well. I held up my hands in protest. "Guys, don't feel the need to accompany me. I plan on getting back to my world, and I don't want you guys getting hurt and getting sucked into the portal."

Dark shrugged, a smirk pulling at his lips, fangs peeking over. "That's all well and good, Callisto, but do you know how to even get to the Lost Woods."

 _Dammit,_ I swore mentally. _There I go again, not thinking things through._ "Well, I know the location of Oki, and I'm sure one of the villagers could point me in the right direction from there."

My dragon friend sauntered up to me, stretching to wrap an arm around my shoulders. "Now, now. You're not getting rid of us that easily, Callisto. We promised to see this through, so you're stuck with us."

With a sigh, I let out a breathy chuckle. "It appears so, doesn't it?" My gaze turned on Nix. "I'm assuming you're going to tag along as well?" The little incubus boy nodded assertively, bound and determined. I smiled. "Well, then. Let's get a move on."

As I moved the door, one of the yetis—Yeto—stopped me. "WAIT," he said. "WHAT ABOUT WOLF FRIEND?"

I waved off the comment and shrugged. "If you don't mind, he would probably like to search through your library some more. He's a little caught up with that stupid pearl." Out the corner of my eye, I saw Dark whisper something in Faie's ear before she slapped him upside the head, yelling, "Dense!" I chose to ignore them, an idea of what they were talking about in my mind.

The giant beast-man shrugged. "DON'T MIND. I'LL SEND HIM AFTER, UHHN!"

We all bowed slightly. "Thank you," we spoke in unison.

Leaving the mountain, we set off; a clear destination in mind.

* * *

 **Ugh, writing Yeto's dialogue is so… irritating.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter is going to get pretty interesting, if I do say so myself. Hopefully you guys won't have to wait long for it either.**

 **By the way, Nintendo released an actual recipe for Superb Soup with the release of Twilight Princess HD. The only thing that's not in it is the Reekfish for obvious reasons. Anyway, if any of you guys make it, let me know what you think.**

 **Rate and review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay, so this chapter got me. So much drama and angst. And some considerable progression.**

 **Anyway, first order of business! I'd like to thank the reviewers who have stuck with me and are continuing to review. Reading those make my day.**

 **Second order of business! To answer the guest reviewer Heart of Virgo and a friend, Bluestar, I actually do have plans to write a fanfiction revolving around Breath of the Wild (awesome game). I plan on starting it once I finish one or two of the stories I'm working on now so as to minimize my workload. I also have to work some things out with the plot concerning that matter.**

 **I do not own Zelda. Please, enjoy this angst-filled chapter.**

* * *

In my life, I rarely ever had any good times or things come from it. Fortunately, this was one of those times.

Clouds zoomed past me as we traveled at high speeds. The cold air from the high altitude nipped at my nose and ears, but it didn't bother me. I was having way too much fun here, on the back of the dragon that I was happy to call a friend.

We quickly learned that trying to leave Snowpeak was going to highly improbable, so Faie opted to transform into her dragon form, despite the tundra-like environment, and fly us out. To say it was easier and much faster would be an understatement. Now, we flew through the air back towards Oki.

A quick glance over my shoulder confirmed that Nix was feeling about how I was. Elated. The young child was letting out squeals of joy and delight, no doubt loving the freedom he was experiencing.

Faie let out a thundering roar, her body vibrating underneath us. Nix laughed even louder.

However, the good times we were having were doomed to end. Dark pointed down below, a bright red blazing beneath us. "What's that?!" he shouted over the wind. "Is that a fire?!"

It was. But it wasn't just a field burning; it was a village! A village was on fire!

Faie needed no instructions. With a quick change in direction, she swooped downwards, landing in a nearby forest. As much as her dragon form would be helpful in this situation, she could not be seen. We all slid off her back as she began to transform into her original shape, bare to the world.

Handing her pack to her, Dark and I headed towards the village, leaving Nix in Faie's care while she recuperated. Transforming was sure to drain her energy.

Upon reaching the village, we discovered that we were too little too late. The place was ablaze! People screamed in terror as fire consumed the buildings, running in blind panic. The most we could do now was help the villagers get out safely. Dark and I sprang into action, ushering people out of their homes and out of the village. They ran quickly, scooping up their children and heading for high ground.

The sound of a baby's cry set alarm bells off in my head. I could have sworn we had gotten everyone out! Rushing into the home the crying came from, the entrance caved in behind me. I coughed as smoke filled my lungs, eyes watering. Lifting my shirt over my nose, I continued through the house, checking the rooms for any signs of life. Laughter met my ears as I stepped through the threshold to the nursery. A figure stood before me, a familiar symbol brandished on his waist cape.

My eyes went wide. "C-Colonel? Is that you?"

His head turned, and I stared into the face of my commander. "It's funny," he spoke, eyes blazing. In his arms was the infant I had heard. "When we cornered that mage at the cathedral and wound up here, I thought that some divine entity—if they even exist—was punishing me. Little did I know that this world is full of monsters to be rid of. I was sent here to destroy them, I now see that!" Colonel Cato fully turned towards me, his blonde ponytail slipping over his shoulder. "You were brought here too, Callisto, to help me." He extended his hand. "Join me."

While I was happy to have found my commanding officer, something wasn't right. He wasn't one to exterminate people, even if they were supernatural. Like he had told me once before, he didn't hate anyone. So why was he doing this?

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, sir. And I cannot let you continue to do this! It isn't right! I know that now. I've met with the people of this world and became friends with a lot of them. They're just like regular people with minds and wills of their own… You used to believe that too… so what changed?"

"Everything changed!" Cato snarled. "Why can't you see that?!" His face was twisted in anger, but with a deep breath, he sighed. "Fine. If you insist on fraternizing and protecting these… things…" He glanced at the child. "Then you can die with them!"

The child was tossed into the air, and I dove to catch it in my arms. The building around us began to collapse, wood splintering off everywhere as fire rained from above. I curled myself around the child as Cato disappeared once again, leaving us to die.

* * *

I wasn't dead, that much I was sure of. And yet, I didn't feel like I normally do. Cautiously, I opened my eyes—secretly afraid that for some correlating reason more debris would fall as I did. Unsurprisingly, none fell, but what was surprising was the violet-colored barrier surrounding the child and myself. Was the child doing this?

No… I was! I was doing magic!

Analyzing my own barrier, I found myself rather impressed. Despite not knowing how I did it, I had managed to put up a stable barrier. Unfortunately, I couldn't safely dispel it, risking all the debris to fall on top of the child and me. I had to get someone's attention, if anyone was still in the area.

"Hello?!" I shouted. "Is anyone out there?" My own voice echoed loudly around me. "Hello!" No one came. Was the barrier soundproof?

The bundled up infant suddenly let out a shriek, probably alarmed by my shouting. It's little face was scrunched up and redder than a strawberry, the anger and frustration evident. Easing myself down to the ground, I picked up the child, holding it in my arms. I rocked it back and forth, bouncing as I went. "Shh," I cooed. "It's okay." The child looked up and locked eyes with me, going still with fright. My eyes were scaring it. _Great, I scare the thing just by looking at it. I should probably stop calling it and 'it.' What gender is it even?_ With a quick check, I confirmed that the child was female. And now that I really looked, the feminine traits were a little more obvious.

Suddenly, the barrier around us shuddered, a rumbling sound echoing within as the debris on top shifted around. I swore quietly, feeling strangely guilty about cursing in front of the child. We had to get out of here. Standing up, the kid crying loudly in my arms, I ran to the edge of the barrier and pounded against it with a fist.

"Help! Anyone, please!"

"Callisto?"

"Dark! Is that you?!"

"Yeah," he responded. "Where are you?"

I looked around. "I don't know! I'm under some rubble! It's about to collapse!" I didn't want to admit it, but I was scared… not for me, but the child. I wasn't sure if I could protect her if the structure surrounding the barrier came down.

"Ah, o-okay! Just… just hold on!" the demon called back. Like I could do much else, but I chose not to mouth off. I could hear Dark and possibly other people shifting through the rubble. They moved the broken shingles and hefted the beams off the violet dome, revealing the beaming light of the sun. The demon's face soon came into view. His eyes, full of panic, closed in relief. "Oh, thank the Goddess."

I looked up and scowled. "Yeah, yeah. Feel free to thank whoever you want, just get me out of here!"

"Right. Right."

The rest of the wreckage was moved from the area, and just in time too. No sooner than when the last piece of drywall was removed, the barrier fell, fading around me in a cascade of light. I let out a breath that I wasn't aware I was holding in. It was comforting to not have danger literally looming over my head.

Dark helped me up from my position on the ground with the help of another—whom I could only assume was one of the villagers. "What happened?" asked Dark.

I handed off the child to the villager and faced the demon. "Well, I can safely say that we no longer have to return to Oki and head for the Lost Woods."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I confronted my commander in here before the house collapsed on top of me. Something was off about him. He was never as malicious as he was now," I explained. The encounter was definitely strange. I had never known Cato to be so unforgiving and cruel during my time at the Order. He was one of the few agents that believed that all life should be given a chance to survive, no matter its heritage. Only when it has done wrong should we act and intervene.

This was not _that_ Cato.

This Cato seemed to revel in causing pain to the people of Hyrule. He enjoyed torture and spreading misery. Something was wrong with this Cato, disgustingly so.

I turned to the villager. "Does this child, in anyway, have any connection to non-humans or inhuman skills?"

The woman shook her head. "Both her parents were one of the few humans residing in the village. We haven't been able to test her yet for abilities."

"Test?" I inquired, confused. "Doesn't having human parents make her human?"

She shook her head negatively. "No. We're not quite sure what it is exactly that causes it, but after years of research, we Sheikah have deduced that not all supernatural children are born from supernatural parents. It could be a recessive gene skipping generations, or maybe even a mutation influencing the DNA in the hopes of thriving survival. It could be anything really."

Dark seemed very interested in this. "How is that you go about testing the children?"

The Sheikah woman shrugged. "Only the elder is allowed to know how it works. The only thing we are aware of is that she uses an ancient relic. Everything is harmless, though. All of the children come out of the elder's hut just as they went in."

That was very intriguing, but even with how interesting it was, another thought occurred to me. I had successfully performed magic in a place where magic users were apprehended and used as machines. "You're not going to report me for using magic are you?"

The woman smiled and looked around. "I didn't see any magic," she said nonchalantly. "None of us did. All we saw were a couple of heroes pulling us out of a fire." I smiled. With a bow, acting as a semblance of a thank you, the woman turned and left, leaving Dark and me to ourselves.

The demon pointed up the neighboring mountainside. "I was speaking to the other villagers, and they said their elder lives in a hut at the base of the mountain, away from the village. We should go check it out, but we need to retrieve Faie and Nix first."

"Agreed."

Turning on our hills, we waved goodbye to the village folks as they set about cleaning up. They would have a lot of work ahead of them.

Grass and leaves crunched underfoot as we made our way back into the woods by the village to pick up our friends. Hopefully, Faie was all rested up by now. I felt the need to get to the elder's house quickly. There was no telling where Cato was heading, and I prayed it wasn't there. And even if it was, I found myself curious about the relic the woman mentioned. Was Cato looking for it? Why? Was it to locate infant supernatural and eliminate them?

"So was it really your colonel?" Dark ripped me from my train of thought.

Nodding sadly, I made a sound of disappointment. "Yes. He knew stuff that only he and I were there to witness. It had to be him. And yet, it's like it wasn't."

He kept up with the conversation, nodding at the appropriate times. "Yeah, you mentioned that he seemed meaner than before."

"That's the thing. The colonel was never mean, not even to creatures that weren't human. If he was charged to kill something, he did it quick, never one to draw it out. He thought how you and Link do." I thought back to the Order, and the sneering faces of the council. "An unpopular opinion. Cato kept it to himself mostly. No, this was definitely Cato, but something was wrong. It was like he was possessed. He kept saying that he realized he was sent here to basically commit genocide. And didn't seemed concern if the people he were killing were supernatural or not."

"Do you think he knows about the thing with the children?"

It would make sense. Right now, he was killing anyone he expected would have inhuman abilities. He was going of assumptions. Surely he would want a more undeniable solution. "I hope not, though I doubt it."

Making it back to the clearing, we ended our conversation. Faie and Nix were resting calmly against a pair of trees. Faie was fully dressed and looked much more alert than when she first shifted back. She appeared reprieved as we walked into her field of vision. Nix on the other hand looked overjoyed. He sprung up from his seat and ran to me, throwing his arms around my waist.

"I'm so glad you're back!" he exclaimed. "I missed you. Did you save people?"

I laughed and ruffled the ash blonde hair. "Yeah, we saved a bunch of people." I looked to the Ignis Draco. "We have a new heading. We're going to be paying the elder of that village a visit."

"Did something happen aside from the fire?" she asked.

"Colonel Cato was there, but he was different. I'm hoping the elder will have some answers for me. I—" I paused midsentence. The wind had suddenly changed direction and a familiar scent was carried to my nose. My eyes widened in horror and I whirled around, spotting someone in the trees. "Watch out!"

But I was too late. The man in the trees had already raised and fired the blow dart tube, the dart driving itself into Nix's neck. The boy gasped out in pain, falling to the ground, writhing. Eyes blown wide, Nix clawed at his neck, blindly searching for the dart.

Dropping down to my knees, I pulled the dart out before Nix could hurt himself in his struggling. My head snapped to the man in the trees. "Cato!" I snarled, raising my pistol. "Why?!"

He only laughed. "You better hurry, Callisto. Prove to me that you're worthy of keeping alive as a challenge." He leapt from the trees, disappearing, only leaving his scent behind.

As much as I wanted to go after him, Nix needed me more. I pulled the incubus to my body, holding him as he trembled, crying out in pain, strange and raspy noises coming from his throat. He needed help.

"It's a poison dart. There's monkshood on the tip, and something else too, but I can't tell," Faie informed me. "We need to get him to a healer. Quickly!"

I picked Nix up and positioned him on my back. "The elder can help us. I'm sure of it."

Dark nodded as he and Faie picked up the packs. "Let's go!"

* * *

It was a race against time. Nix had lost consciousness a couple of minutes ago, but his breathing remained labored, loud against my ear. His body was hot to the touch, and I just knew we didn't have much time left.

We continued to the mountain, looking for any sign of the elder's hut. We had to hurry, but the hut was hidden well, remaining out of sight. It was only when Faie pointed out a large cave did hope swell in my chest.

Running inside, we came face to face with the hut, having been inside the cave. We burst through the doors without so much as a knock. An old woman was kneeling on a cushion at the opposite end of the room. "What is the meaning of this?!" she shouted. Another girl stood to the side, knees knocking together in fear.

"Please!" I pleaded, placing Nix before her on the wooden floor. "Help him! He's been poisoned…" I was practically in tears at this point.

The old woman stepped off of her cushion and kneeled before the little incubus. With a withered hand and a spyglass at her eye, she stroked Nix's face ever so gently, parting his hair to feel his forehead. She then placed it upon his chest before checking his pulse at his neck. "I'm afraid there's naught I can do," she said, listening to his breathing, ear over his chest. "The poison has already made its way to his heart and its pumping it to the rest of his body. I'm sorry."

I felt myself deflate as the tears in my eyes finally found purchase and poured over their rims. "No," I sobbed. "I was too late."

The old woman cleared her throat. "Now, I didn't say that."

"What?"

She smirked at the three of us. "Lucky for you, this boy is only in his human skin. His façade is masking his true abilities and dampening his senses. If we awaken his true form, I am most certain that he will shed his skin and his new body will work to cleanse itself of the toxin."

"True form?" Faie questioned. "How is that possible?"

"Many a great things are possible, my dear. Now stand back." Pulling what appeared to be a strange white mask from her sleeve, the old woman placed it upon Nix's face. The red eye at the center was menacing looking, and I felt as if it were staring into my very soul. "O Mask of Truth," the woman chanted, "reveal to me which is unknown. Keep not from me which is forbidden. Uncover this boy's true form using your all powerful Sheikah eye."

It was like she had used magic, for no sooner did she finish speaking, Nix suddenly screamed. He was in agony, and his screams were deafening. He thrashed around wildly as his body burst into blue flames.

"Nix!" I yelled, ready to jump into the fire.

"No!" the elder scolded me. "You mustn't touch him!"

I watched as the flesh was stripped away from Nix's body, leaving a dark shade behind. Claws ripped from the ends of his fingers, blood spurting from their entry. I wanted to gag at the grotesqueness of it all. More blood began to pool around the boy, coming from behind the mask and underneath him, only to be evaporated by the flames. It seemed to take forever before the flames finally died down. However, as the flames dispersed, I grew confused, unsure as to what I was looking at.

Approaching slowly, I took notice how Nix's skin seemed to have darkened considerably, his clothes having been burned away by the fire. He was quite tan, pink undertones visible beneath his skin. A long, silky, silver tail curled in on itself from his rear and gnarly claws adorned each hand and foot. He had truly been transformed.

The elder then removed the mask, revealing Nix's face to all of us. It was relatively unchanged, but as the boy panted, fangs could be seen between his lips and dark and twisted horns had sprouted from his now silver hair.

He was kind of beautiful… as expected of an incubus.

"It is done," the old woman spoke, her straw hat shielding her eyes, the charms on the brim tinkling softly. "I must say, I didn't expect for the boy to be so powerful for his age. If his body doesn't rid itself of the poison, surely the flames would have. Now, he must rest." She sighed and returned to her cushion. "We have yet to be properly introduced. I am Impa. The girl that was in here earlier was my granddaughter Paya."

Dark stepped forward. "I'm Dark and this Callisto and Faie."

"It's a pleasure. At any rate, how is it that this boy was poisoned?"

I sighed. "It's a long story."

Impa nodded. "I understand… You all must be tired, and this boy needs his rest as well." She looked to a doorway. "Paya."

The girl from earlier peeked around the doorway. "Y-Yes?"

"Please, show our guests to some rooms. And I believe Miss Callisto wishes to stay with the boy?" I nodded in affirmation.

"Of course," Paya bowed. She addressed us. "Right this way."

Lifting the newly changed Nix, we followed the timid girl to our rooms.

* * *

It was now well into the night. Nix lay on the only bed in the room, his breath even and deep. I sat propped up against the wall, unwilling to let myself rest. The fear that Cato would return had wormed its way into my mind, dangling just out of reach. I couldn't let myself be caught off guard.

The sound of the door opening set off my alarms, and I bolted up, pistol aimed at the entryway. I never expected for Link to pop his head through. "Callisto? Is that you? Impa said I could find you here—Whoa!"

I had rushed the werewolf, pinning him to the wall. I snarled. "You should have been there! You should have been there!" I pounded against his chest, resisting the urge to scream. "But you were too busy worrying about that stupid pearl!" The barrel of the gun was now digging into Link's sternum.

Link shoved me back hard, grabbing my gun. "Hey, it's because of this pearl that we're alive and how I got here in the first place," he retorted.

"You should have just come with us! If you had, you would have smelled Cato faster than I would have, and Nix wouldn't be in this situation…"

He drew back in surprise. "What?" he asked. "Cato? He did this to Nix?" I nodded solemnly. "How?"

I turned to face the sleeping boy, running a hand through my hair. "Poison. This was the only thing we could do to save him." I sat down on the end of the bed. "How did it come to this?"

A gentle hand was placed on my lower back, fingers splayed. Link stared down at Nix and me, concern evident on his face. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "You're right. I should've been there to help prevent this."

It was all too much. Turning to the werewolf, I spoke softly, "I'm sorry, but could you please leave me be for now? I-I need some time."

Link was surprised at my inquiry. "Yeah," he answered. "Of course. Take your time." He turned to leave. The last thing I heard from him was the sound of my gun being set down on a nearby dresser and the door shutting with _click_.

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed that chapter and are looking forward to the next one. We're almost to the end. Only a few chapters left.**

 **Please, keep submitting those tasty, tasty reviews. They are my nutrition… I need them to survive.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Well, I'm finally updating. Things are starting to add up at last.**

 **I do not own Zelda.**

* * *

Without even noticing, Nix had awoken my maternal instincts, the once subdued wolf inside rising to the surface. It would not rest, knowing that the child it now considered its pup had been in danger. It just wanted to see Nix wake up. The stirring in my chest caused by the pacing beast felt strange to say the least. I was unused to having it there.

The soft groans coming from the boy on the bed made me perk up. I stood from my spot on the floor and hurried to the bedside. Easing Nix up slowly, I sat behind him, letting him lean against my torso. "Hey," I rasped, my voice coarse from crying last night. "How are you feeling?"

The incubus boy smacked his lips, his mouth undoubtedly dry. I reached over and grabbed the cup Paya left with the water pitcher early this morning and poured Nix a drink, handing it to his clawed hands. He sipped eagerly, his throat bobbing with each swallow. "Thank you," he said at last, moving the cup away from his lips. He sounded exhausted. "I feel… different."

I looked away sheepishly, thoughtlessly rubbing Nix's back—hopefully in a soothing manner. "W-Well," I stammered. "You are a bit different."

Nix looked at me with icy blue eyes, a ring of gold now surrounding the pupil. They appeared foggy as they bore into me, almost as if the boy was in a daze. Was he still under the effects of his transformation?

With shaky limbs, the incubus boy slithered out from under the covers, planting his feet on the hardwood. The wood panels creaked under his weight as he attempted to stand up, his body wobbling—weak. He began to walk, slowly. It took me a minute to realize where he was going, the mirror hanging on the side wall by the door having not crossed my mind. "Nix, wait," I demanded. He turned, eyes meeting mine. My throat tightened, and my eyes began to burn with unshed tears. "You might not like what you see."

The warning went unheeded as the boy reached up to remove the mirror from the wall, too short to see in it otherwise. Gazing into the reflective glass of the mirror, Nix's arms began to shake, his shoulders heaving as he began to make quite hiccups. The mirror fell from his grasp, striking the floor, the glass now cracked. Nix dropped to his knees, hands covering his face as he cried.

Immediately rushing to his side, I kneeled beside Nix bringing him close to my chest. "Shh," I cooed. "It's alright."

He rubbed his face into my shirt, horns just barely bumping against my chin, his tail laying limply behind him. "I'm a monster! I look like a monster!" he sobbed.

"Hey…" I said forcing Nix to look at me. "You're still Nix to me. You're the same as you've always been. The others will agree."

"How can you say that?" he asked. Nix looked down at his hands, at his spindly—almost too long—fingers, at his wickedly sharp claws. "How can you say that?" he repeated. "How can you say that when I look like this?"

I could relate to the boy. I had been judged as a literal monster my whole life. To most of my world, I was an abomination that shouldn't have existed. I was something that scared them. There was no way I could let Nix suffer through what I had.

With soft strokes to his hair, I smiled. "I don't know what you mean," I told him. "All I see is a sad little boy who has no idea what happened and is confused. Nothing more. Nothing less." I took Nix's hands in my own, my thumbs stroking the back of his hands. "If you ask me, you're rather beautiful just the way you are."

Looking up from underneath his silvery lashes, Nix gave me a half smile. One of his hands found its way to his horns, his fingers running up the ridges, and the other grabbed his tail. "Even with these?" he asked.

My grin widened. "Especially with these," I answered, grabbing and slightly pulling on the extra extremities in return. Nix gave me a full smile. I stood up, lifting the boy with me. "Come on," I said, "let's go see what the others are up to."

Nix followed wordlessly behind me as we left the room. I could tell the little incubus was nervous to see the others reactions, but he was trying hard to put on a brave face. I wanted to commend him, but now was not the time. His quite footsteps echoed behind my much louder ones as we entered what appeared to be a dining room… or at least I thought it was.

The table—looking much more like a coffee table than a dining table except with a thick table cloth draped over it—sat low to the ground, cushions lined around it. A tea set was nestled over what appeared to be a burner bolted down to the floor. And the only decorations were a few scrolls acting as wall art and the occasional plant in the corners of the room.

Was this really a dining room?

"Ah, so the young demon rouses from his slumber at last," an elderly voice croaked. The elderly woman from before, Impa, stood in one of the two doorways, the sliding door grasped tightly in her wrinkled hand. "How are you, my dear?"

Bumping Nix so as to force him to speak, the incubus blushed furiously. "I-I'm f-fine," he stuttered. "M'still tired."

"Highly so," Impa agreed. "Your body went through great strain to complete its transformation last night. I would not be surprised if you were still feeling weak. We need to build up your energy again with food. Now, how old are you, dear?" Nix answered his usual "ten or eleven summers," making Impa smile. "Ah, lovely. You're not old enough yet."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Not old enough for what, Impa? What do you mean?"

The elder cackled. "Nix is partially an incubus. When he goes through puberty, he'll have about four more years before he has to start feeding on sexual energy too, assuming it hits when he's fourteen."

Nix and I shared a blush, indignant sounds sputtering from our mouths. "Oh, ah, I see." _How did I not think of that?! Stupid! Stupid!_ "Will he be able to continue eating food?"

Impa nodded. "He should have no problem with it. Speaking of…" The elderly woman clapped her hands before easing herself down on one of the cushions surrounding the table, tucking her feet under the cloth. Moments later, a couple of people I recognized from the village, as well as Paya, entered the room with trays of food in their hands. The food was set onto the table and the villagers left, leaving Paya to occupy another cushion. "Please, sit down and eat with us. Your friends will be joining us momentarily."

True to her word, just as Nix and I imitated Impa and sat down, our friends found us moments later. Faie looked much better, much less tired than the day before, and Dark was definitely in better spirits now that the immediate danger was over. The only one who seemed to be in a state of depression was Link. Surely it couldn't be because of our conversation from last night, could it?

We feasted on the spread laid before us eagerly. It had been awhile since we had a good meal. Nix had been successfully distracted from his inner turmoil, none of us even bringing up his appearance, but I could see it on the others' faces, plain as day. They didn't care one way or another what Nix looked like. They loved him all the same.

The air was filled with laughter, especially when Impa brought up a story about an embarrassing birthmark that was Paya's namesake. The girl was so red, she could have filled in for the strawberries on the table. Even Link managed to perk up and crack a smile.

It was nice having a meal together with friends. But I knew I shouldn't get used to it.

* * *

Dinner came to a close, and we sent Nix off to bed while the rest of us retreated into the main room to talk privately with Impa. We gathered around the elderly woman, all of us sitting on our respective cushions, waiting for the her to address us.

"So," she finally started. "Aside from saving Nix, what was the other reason that brought you here?"

Dark and I looked at each other for a moment. "We were made aware that children that come from human parents may not necessarily be completely human," Dark started. Faie's and Link's eyes widened in surprise. "We were also told that you have a way of telling which children will develop supernatural abilities."

Impa hummed. "It is true. I do possess a way to see into a child's very being. Through that, I can determine if they are more than human. Why is it that you ask?"

I began to voice my tale, explaining how I had come to be in this world. I explained that Cato had gone missing only to return in her village, crazed and malicious. I told Impa how he had sought to destroy the supernatural despite no previous desire of this existing. I told her everything. Well, most everything. She didn't need to know my confusing feelings for a certain werewolf… and neither did he. "You see, we're worried that Cato might come to steal whatever it is that you use to discover supernatural children, so that he might kill them easier. We… don't want that to happen…" I finished explaining.

"You are right to worry," Impa stated, "but you needn't concern yourself with this. The relic I use requires a ritual as well and it can only be performed by me and my bloodline. Paya has no knowledge of the ritual yet, and my sister knows not either. The children are at least safe from that." A sigh or relief overcame all of us, weights having been lifted off our shoulders. "So what it that you all will do now?"

"I guess we will search for Cato," surmised Faie. "But where would we even look?"

I didn't want to admit it, after all my friends had done for me and after all Cato did to them, but I didn't want to kill him. How could I? Colonel Cato had been the only person that treated me kindly… well, aside from Markus. There had to be some reason why he was acting the way he was.

Feeling a pair of eyes boring into me, I turned, my gaze suddenly locking with Link's. The Hylian werewolf didn't break away, but continued to stare intensely at me. What did he want? Was he trying to figure me out? Link raised an eyebrow at me as if he was questioning why I was staring back at him. I refused to tear my gaze away.

"…sto… llisto… Callisto!"

"Huh?" My concentration broke and I suddenly had whole room of eyes on me now. "What… What did I miss?"

"We were speculating how you know Cato the best, and wondered if you had any idea where he would go?" Faie reiterated.

I scratched the back of my head embarrassedly. "Oh, uh… I-I'm sorry. I really have no clue where he would go. The Cato I met yesterday was definitely not the same as the man I knew."

"Shame," commented the elder.

Having answered the question, I turned back to the werewolf, practically glaring at him for distracting me. I hoped my eyebrows were expressing just how angry I was at him. Link looked all too pleased with himself, waggling his own eyebrows at me teasingly. "Che!" I clucked my tongue quietly, turning away.

Turning my attention back to the conversation at hand, I took note at how tense Paya was, sitting in the corner all by herself. She looked afraid… absolutely terrified. Was she always this afraid? Wait… Paya didn't appear to be paying attention to the conversation at all… What was she looking at then?

My eyebrows furrowed as I attempted to follow Paya's line of sight with my own. Tracking her eye movements, the scarlet orbs wide and innocent looking, I was surprised to see her practically ogling Link. And now that I regarded her closer, I could see a light blush adorning Paya's little pixie nose as well as her cheeks. She was rather flustered looking.

Paya was afraid of Link!... or more like embarrassed to be around him. She was attracted to him.

I couldn't decide if I found that cute or not.

My teeth gnawed on my bottom lip, irritation growing at the back of my brain. I liked Paya, sure, but I definitely didn't like the fact that she was attracted Link.

A thought suddenly occurred to me

Why did I care if she was attracted to Link or not? It's not like I had feelings for him anyway. Sure, he was fairly handsome and I was undoubtedly attracted to him as well, but there were no feelings for him.

Were there?

"Impa?" the man of my thoughts suddenly spoke. The sound of his voice had startled me a little, having not expected to hear it. "If it's truly like Callisto said and that was actually Cato, is it possible for him to have been possessed by something?"

Everything suddenly clicked. For Cato to be possessed by something would make total sense. Whatever it was that was possessing him was able to use his body as they wished, having access to all his thoughts and memories. They would be able to use Cato's memories to their advantage, manipulating them to fit their plan, deceiving all who knew the real Cato.

"Is that even possible?" I questioned the group. "Is Cato being controlled in his own body?"

The elder hummed, gripping her chin in contemplation. Her eyes closed, the skin between her brows crinkling. "It is… possible," she finally said. "The real question is 'by what?'"

"What do you mean?" Faie asked. "Are there multiple entities capable of possession?"

"Yes," Impa nodded. "The most common creatures to possess people are spirits and shadow demons like Dark here. If he wanted to, he could easily possess someone else, but thanks to Link's blood, he was able to craft a body for himself. There are various other creatures that are proficient at possession. Angels are a prime example, but they are only able to possess certain people that can withstand their power. Of course, there would have to be angels in existence for that to happen."

"Those most skilled with magic are sometimes able to possess people too if they discover a safe, successful, spell," Paya added.

My friends all turned to look at me.

I raised my hands in defense, shaking my head. "Don't look at me. I can barely perform simple magic. I may be part witch, but I'm not a very successful one."

"Interesting," Impa drawled. My blood ran cold, and I swore. I had completely forgotten that Impa wasn't aware of the more magical aspects of me. The elder Sheikah laughed lightly. "It' alright, child. You are safe here. We do not turn in magic users here." Relief ran through me. "Tell me," the elder continued, "who is your magical parent?"

"My mother," I answered. "But I never met her, nor do I desire to. She abandoned my father and I right after I was born as I've been led to believe."

Impa shook her head. "Shame," she repeated. "If you had training, I believe that you would make a marvelous witch. I can sense a great deal of power emanating from you."

I hated to burst her bubble, but… "I actually prefer not to rely on magic."

"I understand. However, if you're ever interested in learning anything at all, I would be happy to tell you what I do know."

I nodded. "Thank you."

Smiling at me, Impa addressed us all next. "Why don't we adjourn for now? We can pick this up tomorrow when our minds our fresh. Then we can discuss what to do about the possible possession."

We all agreed.

Meeting adjourned.

* * *

The air outside was cool against my skin, the breeze making goosebumps rise on my flesh. My breath came out in puffs of fog, indicating how much colder it had gotten, and yet… I couldn't help but want to stick my feet into the rippling pond before me. I wasn't far from the cave the hut was located in, just outside of it actually. It probably wouldn't even take me five minutes to run to it if I went through the brush.

Fireflies skimmed the surface of the water, their yellow glow illuminating the surrounding area. It was quite here, peaceful even. It had been awhile since I had felt this at ease. I hoped that it lasted.

Footsteps echoed behind me, my head turning towards the sound. The bushes shook at the arrival of Link walking through them. "Hey," he said, standing next to me. "Can I sit down?" I motioned for him to do so. As the werewolf sat down beside, I let out a breath that I had no idea I had been holding only. Link didn't look at me, but he did continue to speak. "I want to apologize."

"No, I was wrong to blame you about what happened with Nix. It's true it might have been different if you had been there, but I had no reason to completely blame you for anything."

Link shook his head. "I'm not apologizing for that, though I agree that was my fault. I'm apologizing for acting like such a… well, a jerk. The truth is… I've been playing you."

I was confused. "What do you mean, Link?"

The werewolf scratched the back of his head. "I wasn't really interested in selling the Goddess Pearl. After the last time we spoke about you going home, I've been trying to find a way to get you there. I… didn't want you to know, so I went back to my façade and pretended that I was trying to find a way to sell it. As you said, once a thief, always a thief." Link reached into his pocket, pulling out said pearl. It was gray once again and a large crack was running down the surface of it. "When I teleported here, it cracked. I don't think it's usable anymore."

Link handed me the pearl, the gray orb a dark contrast against my pale fingers. I could see a faint indigo color swirling in the depths of the pearl, the only remnants of the power that had once been there. I rolled the pearl between my fingers. "It's okay," I told Link. "I'll find some other way to get home." Looking up at the Hylian werewolf, I smiled softly. "Thank you for telling me the truth."

We sat in silence for a moment, giving me time to calm my racing heart. It was pointless, though. I knew Link could hear it beating frantically in my chest. And though I wasn't looking at his face, I knew Link was smirking at me. He suddenly leaned into me, bumping me playfully. "You know," he began. "You were totally jealous of Paya earlier."

My mouth gaped. "What?!" I sputtered. "I was not!"

"You were, though," he retorted. "I could literally smell the irritation fuming off of you. It was nearly visible waves."

I pouted. There was no way I was going to admit my jealousy of Paya. But why wouldn't I be. Paya was adorable, and me…? Well, I was just me. "I wasn't jealous," I decided to stick with my story.

Link only laughed. "It's okay, Callisto. I like it when you're jealous."

A sigh escaped me as I started to realize where this conversation was heading. "Link—" My words were cut off abruptly as Link's lips met my own. They were soft against mine, and I gasped against his mouth. Before the werewolf had a chance to explore the rest of me, I ripped away from him. "No," I panted. "Stop!"

The werewolf growled. "Why? I don't want to wait anymore… so tell me why, Callisto!"

"This," I motioned between us, "will never work. We're from two different worlds!"

"Then, I'll go back with you!" Link argued.

"And be considered a monster there?! Besides, what about everyone here? You'd just leave the people of Oki, Dark, and Faie all by themselves?" He grew silent, seeming to consider what I have told him. I shook my head, unsure if what I was about to say was smart or not. "I don't even know what my feelings towards you are."

Link looked like a kicked puppy in that instance, the light in his eyes seeming to die a little. He stood from his spot, turning to leave. "You know," he said. "This isn't the end, Callisto. You said you don't know what your feelings are, so I'm not giving up on you. Not yet."

"Link…" I wanted to deny his affections. I wanted to turn him away. I wanted… I wanted…

The sound of screaming had me on my feet in an instant. Link and I both darted out from the brush, returning to the main path, eyes wide in alarm. What was happening?

We ran back around the bend of the path, skidding to a stop as we saw a figure dart out from the opening of the cave. Thanks to the properties of my eyes, the dark night and low lighting was no problem for me. I could clearly see the details of the figure in the distance, tell-tale features giving away his identity.

Cato.

My commander smirked at me, a thrashing Impa over his shoulder. "Put me down! I demand you put me down at once!" she snapped. Needless to say, Cato didn't comply.

I began to notice something strange… physical deformities that Cato normally didn't possess. Gone were his jade eyes, and in their place were grey-brown irises, the whites surrounding them bloodshot. His skin was taking on an ashen tone, his lips devoid of color, and a dark blotch stained the side of his face. Lines of black were running up the side of Cato's neck, visible proof of his strained possession.

This… this was not good. Not good at all.

Cato—or whatever was inside Cato—winked at me, a large grin on his face. "Come and find me if you can," he said, knowing my hearing would pick up his voice. "I'll be where the one who truly rules began anew. A dark blot against the skies, casting destruction down upon the earth. It is there that _he_ shall be revived." Cato laughed manically, disappearing into a cloud of shadowed particles.

Link and I ran inside the hut, finding the main room in disarray. Faie was unconscious, propped up against a wall as Dark examined her. Paya was on her hands and knees, tears pouring down her face as she stared at her grandmother's cushion, shaking her head. "It's all my fault," she cried. Blood was dripping from a cut on her forehead, the crimson liquid blending in with the Sheikah emblem.

I kneeled down beside Paya while the werewolf went to check on our friends. "Paya, how did Cato get in here?"

The girl looked up, eyes brimming with tears. Her face was red and puffy from crying. "I-I don't know!" she sobbed. "He… He was just s-suddenly there, snatching grandmother up and running out the door!" Paya looked down, looking ashamed. "Callisto, that's not all… Cato… he took Nix."

I froze, my mouth going dry, my eyes gaping with fear and disbelief, silent tears dribbling over. "What?" I breathed. "Nix… Nix is gone?"

* * *

 **Almost at the end! Whoo! Maybe one or two more chapters left!**

 **And now, by the power of subliminal messaging!... review, review, review, review…**


	16. Chapter 16

**All right. First update since college. And it's a long chapter too. I felt like you guys deserved that much at least.**

 **There should only be one more chapter left… and maybe an epilogue.**

 **In case it wasn't obvious, my version of Hyrule is a bit of a mashup of a lot of them. Oh, and there are some minor Breath of the Wild SPOILERS here.**

 **I don't own Zelda Enjoy.**

* * *

My nerves were shot and my mind felt frayed at the very edges. I didn't want to believe that Cato would take Nix, but how could I not? He had stooped so low as to kill children. This was not beyond him. Or rather, the thing possessing him.

Luckily for us, Paya had recognized the location of which Cato had spoken of. Far to the west, deep in the Gerudo Desert was the ruins of an ancient prison. Its colosseum like battlements towered into the sky. It was there the one who attempted to take over Hyrule was killed and reborn.

His name was Ganondorf. And it was there he was predicted to rise again.

Paya explained to us—mainly me—just how terrible the Evil King had been. She retold the stories of his tyranny and torture with surprising calmness. It was unsettling. I was glad to not have been around during his lifetime.

However, as I have now been led to believe, whatever was possessing my commander was attempting to resurrect Ganondorf. That could not happen. The kingdom might as well fall into ruin if it were to come into the Gerudo's clutches.

Now, here I waited, pacing back and forth, much like the wolf inside of me, as I waited for the others to complete the preparations. I knew they weren't deliberately being slow, but it felt as if time drug on in the silence. I wanted to growl and snarl, impatient.

"Callisto!" Link suddenly snapped, drawing me out of my inner turmoil. I actually _had_ been growling. The werewolf placed a gentle hand on my arm. "It'll be okay. Just remain calm."

Taking a deep breath in through my nose and out my mouth, I nodded, slowly relaxing into a more calm state. I had to stay focused and positive. I would be no good to Nix—or Impa—stressed and volatile. "Right."

Faie, in turn, came up and smiled at me. "We'll get them back, Callisto. Don't worry." She grabbed her chin, eyes darting to look upwards. "Of course, it would be better if we knew where they would be before they head for the desert. I mean, what reason would he have to take the Mask of Truth as well if he didn't have a purpose for it prior?"

That was news to me. I hadn't been told about him taking the mask as well. I turned to the Sheikah girl kneeling in the corner of the room, wringing her hands together. "Paya, what does the Mask of Truth do exactly?"

She glanced around the room. "I-I'm not allowed to tell you. It's a secret known only to the tribe."

"Paya," I said. "This is a matter of life and death. Surely, you can make an exception?"

Paya's head fell forwards, her eyes closing sadly. Her bottom lip quivered and she nodded. "Okay. I'll tell you." Looking back up, Paya sighed. "The Mask of Truth has the ability to see a person's _true_ self among other things. We use it to identify children with possible supernatural abilities. That, paired with the ritual, can do a variety of things."

"Like what?" Dark questioned.

The girl shrugged. "Progress powers faster, subdue and lock them away, steal them, etcetera."

My brows furrowed. "Steal them?"

"Yes, but for that to work, you must have knowledge of the ritual and a sacrifice of the life hosting the power must be made."

My thoughts grew more grim. Cato had stolen the mask to locate supernaturals—especially those without obvious outward appearances—and had taken Impa to perform the ritual. Was it possible that in order to revive Ganondorf, Cato had to steal the powers of supernaturals, killing them in the process? I couldn't let that happen.

"It may be true that we don't know where they are currently, but we do know where they will be, trap or no. We can stop Cato before he even gets back to his base," I decided.

"Now, we're talking," Link agreed. "We've got a plan and we know where to go."

Dark shut the flaps of the packs, tying them closed. "And we're all set for the road now."

Faie grinned. "So what are we waiting for?"

I returned the smile, though it probably looked more malicious and conniving. "Gerudo Desert, here we come."

* * *

Heading towards the Gerudo Desert meant backtracking a little. We'd had to take a small, almost abandoned, road to reach it the sandy wasteland on the outskirts of Hyrule. It took us across a large canyon with rushing rapids gushing at the base of the chasm. And of course, the horses—that we had sent word for to be brought to us—were uneasy at crossing the suspended bridges stretching to each plateau.

That had been two days ago. Now, on the edge of the end of the earth, we were about to cross into the desert. I was not looking forward to shaking sand out of the folds of my clothes… among other places.

"Hold!" a voice suddenly shouted. Our group turned to face a man in a straw hat. A donkey accompanied him, large bags strapped to the animal's back. This man was a peddler, it seemed. "You'll never make it through the desert dressed as you are, fellow travelers."

Looking down at my clothes, I blanched. The man was right. In my thick shirt and breeches, I was more equipped for the windy grasslands of Hyrule, not the sweltering heat of the desert. I would roast. "What do you suggest we do then?" I inquired of the salesman.

Reaching into one of the packs on the donkey, the man pulled out four bottles, a blue liquid sloshing in each one. "Take these Chilly Elixirs, free of charge. There of no use to me as I can't get into Gerudo Town to sell anything anyway. Only women are allowed there. You two can only make it as far as Kara Kara Bazaar," he explained, pointing to the boys. His finger drifted to Faie and me. "You two should have no trouble getting in Gerudo Town, though I do recommend buying some clothes equipped to battle the heat. The elixirs won't last long."

Faie took the bottles from the man, distributing them to us. "Thank you, my friend. Are you sure we can do nothing in return?"

The peddler thought for a moment. "Put in word for me in town. Maybe some of the Gerudo will come to me." He walked away, his donkey following close behind, without another word.

Popping the cork from the bottle, I swirled the blue elixir inside its bottle. I brought it to my nose for a quick whiff, pulling it away instantly. "Ugh!" I groaned. "It smells vile! What is that? Rotting insects?"

"You're better off not knowing," Link mentioned, his own upper lip curled in his distaste. "Just grin and bear it." In the following moments, he chugged down his bottle's contents, grimacing. The others were quick to do the same. "Your turn," he told me.

I pouted, moving to hold my nostrils closed. The bottle touched my lips and I downed it fast. I dropped the container, the glass shattering against the rocks. I made a nauseous face, praying I wouldn't throw up. A few mouth smacks later, and I was doing better. "That was awful, but…" I took note of the cool sensation that swept over me, "I think it worked."

"Well, let's get going then. Kara Kara Bazaar is still a ways away."

The first step into the actual desert wasn't too bad, but I could still feel the sun beating down upon me even while under the effects of the potion. That peddler wasn't kidding about the heat. Hopefully, someone would be selling clothes at the bazaar.

The further we ventured through the sands, the stone structure of the bazaar a distant, wavering image in the distance, the more the tiny grains found their way into my boots. That added with sweating skin led to uncomfortable chafing on the sides of my feet. And to make matters worse… the potion was wearing off. Sweat accumulated on my forehead, sliding down my face.

"Don't worry," Faie informed. "We're almost there." I couldn't help but notice that Faie, even with her own Chilly Elixir slowing down, she didn't seem all that bothered by the heat. She almost seemed to bask in it.

Dragons…

Finally at the edge of the bazaar, I nearly drooled at the sight of the cool water in the oasis. Getting a second wind, I jogged over to the pond, dipping my hands into the water and taking a drink. I sighed, the cool water rushing down my throat. I hadn't realized it had gotten so dry.

"Sav'aaq, young travelers," a strong feminine voice spoke. A very tall woman carrying a spear approached us. Her hair was like fire, her skinned tanned from the desert sun. She was very intimidating, more so as I got a look at the muscle she was packing. The woman was quite fit. I could only assume that this was a Gerudo. "What brings a couple of Hylians out this far?" She eyed me warily.

"We need information. We were hoping to speak around town, and possibly converse with the chief," Dark explained.

The Gerudo woman hummed, tapping the end of her spear against a rock. "Well, the vai are more than welcome in the city. You voe, however, are not." The woman pointed to a nearby shop. "I do recommend buying some clothes more fitted for the desert. There's still a way to go to Gerudo Town."

Faie nodded. "Thank you for the advice." The Gerudo left, leaving us to our own devices. "So what's the plan?"

"Dark and I will remain here and questions the people hanging around here. You two need to get up to Gerudo Town. We'll meet you outside the city when we're done here," Link instructed, the werewolf wiping sweat from his brow.

No further instruction was needed. Faie and I headed inside the shop to buy some new clothes. In a flurry of fabrics, the two of us were dressed to the Gerudo nines. I was now sporting a pair of white sirwal-style trousers and a new silk top in a deep maroon color. Faie was dressed similarly, the white substituted for blue and the red for gray. The shop keeper insisted on the jewelry that came with the outfits as well as the curly pointed flats.

Popping my back as I left the shop, I huffed. "I feel a little violated," I said, brushing imaginary dirt off the sheer, detached sleeves. I fastened a similar veil over my head, a circlet keeping it in place before shifting the colorful sashes at my waist. "And I feel stupid."

Faie laughed. "Well, I feel… hot." The young dragon girl struck a saucy pose, shaking her head in merriment. "Wonder what Link would say after seeing you like this…"

A blush crossed my cheeks. I would later blame it on the heat. "Wh-Why would you say that? Now's not the time for this! We need to get to the city."

She shrugged, a sly grin on her face. And with a long finger, Faie pointed behind me. Said Hylian… and his double stood where she was pointing. Link's jaw was gaped slightly. I glared at him, an accusing finger aimed at his chest. "Don't you dare say what you're thinking!" I snapped, embarrassed.

Link and, to a lesser degree, Dark picked their jaws up. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Link excused. "I was just going to say to be careful."

I let my hand drop. "Right."

"Of course," the Hylian werewolf continued, "just in case you were wondering, that outfit is definitely a keeper. It's really becoming on you, Callisto."

"Shut up!" My eyes darted around and my brain scrambled for a way out of this situation. "We don't have time for this! Nix doesn't have time for this!" It was a low blow, but I didn't know how else I was supposed to get out of this mess. Link's face fell, and I instantly felt guilty. My head drooped. "I—I… uh, see… see you later."

Link nodded slowly. "Yeah. Later."

* * *

After another two or so miles, Faie and I finally trudged up to Gerudo Town's walls. The pair of guards at the gate had no problem letting us in. In fact, they seemed rather happy to see us enter, small smiles adorning their faces. Hopefully, the other Gerudo would be as thrilled to meet us.

Once inside the town, I was immediately overwhelmed by the hustling and bustling market. Women of all races, except for the Zora—it was too dry for them to commute here, roamed the streets. It was strange seeing the lack of males here.

I turned to Faie. "So why aren't there any Gerudo men in the city?"

"That's because Gerudo men don't exist."

My eyebrow practically rose off my head. "How's that even possible?"

The dragon girl laughed, patting my back with a tiny hand. "Once a Gerudo becomes of age, they go out into the world to find a husband. And while they're not allowed to live in the main city, there are various communities around the deserts for families to live together in. To further explain, all children carried by a Gerudo will be female. And if their mother's DNA is more dominant than the father's, most of the children will end up resembling the mothers, therefor making them Gerudo too. Only once every hundred years or so does a male end up being born. That male usually ends being king, starting a new line of chiefs thereafter."

"I see," I drawled, rubbing the bottom of my chin and neck. "But wasn't Ganondorf a Gerudo at one point?"

"Yes. It is a black stain in the proud history of the desert people," she confirmed as we walked through the streets. "Ganondorf can only ever be male as he was a powerful, evil god before he was forced to surrender his immortality. His spirit stole its way into the womb of Gerudo woman, forcing the fetus to become male. The mother died in childbirth and a pair of witches took it upon themselves to raise Ganondorf. Perhaps, with the proper upbringing, Ganondorf may have not awakened as his evil incarnate and lived a normal life, but we will never know."

The Gerudo had a sad history. I couldn't help but look over my shoulder to see if anyone was listening in. I didn't want to shame anyone by mentioning their bleak past. "So where should we start our search?"

Faie looked around the market, taking note of all the vendors and the people walking about. I could see her doing mental calculations in her head on how many people there actually were and how long we had to talk to them. "Well, I really doubt most of the public will know anything about the prison. Only the officials should know anything, however, gossip likes to spread in places like this, so we should start at the bar." I made a displeased face. "What?" questioned Faie.

"I'm not exactly fond of bars, nor the people in them."

"Why?"

"For one thing, I don't enjoy myself there at all. Thanks to my werewolf heritage, my metabolism is boosted and it's very difficult to get drunk. And two, it's very hard for me to deal with _other_ people that are drunk," I explained.

I was received with a look of confusion. "Okay," she said. "I understand the second reason, but why don't you just lace your drinks with wolfsbane? That's what Link does."

I was dumbfounded. My eyes went wide with shock. "Wolfsbane?! That stuff is lethal to werewolves!"

Faie shrugged. "Not in small doses. Anyway, that's beside the point. The bar will no doubt have some loose-lipped patrons and, if we're lucky, loose-lipped officials."

Looking up to the sky, the sun shone down upon my face and I was forced to look away. "Do you think anyone will even be in the bar mid-afternoon?"

The dragon girl hummed in thought, scratching the back of her head. "Good point," she agreed. We'll wait till later this evening. Until then, let's look around, shall we? Not many people travel out this far."

A grin broke out across my face. "Sounds like a plan."

As Faie and I turned to head into the throng of shoppers, my shoulder collided with a woman—a Hylian—dressed in teal blue-green Gerudo attire, the trousers a gentle violet. Blonde hair peaked out from under the silk headdress, her face obscured from view with a veil. "Oh, I'm sorry," I apologized. "I didn't see you there."

The young woman made a gentle waving motion with her arms, the golden accessories she wore tinkling with the movement. It was clear she meant to say that it was okay and that she was fine. She gave me a gentle tap on the shoulder before sauntering away. I stared as she left.

"Are you okay, Callisto?" Faie asked, snapping me from my reverie.

I shook my head, clearing my mind. "Yeah," I confirmed. Looking back to the woman, I pursed my lips. "Did she seem familiar to you?"

A headshake. "Maybe we ran into her on the road."

"Hmm, I don't think so… She was very muscular for a Hylian woman."

Faie snorted. "Like we're ones to talk. Of course, neither one of us are really Hylians." She shrugged. "Eh, what do I know? Let's get going."

I followed Faie around the market place, but during the whole time… I couldn't get the Hylian woman out of my head.

* * *

Asking around town turned out to be a bust. The most anyone knew about the prison was that it was condemned and nearly impossible to get to. The road leading to it was closed and no one would disclose its location. Hopefully, better answers would come when we reached the bar.

"—strange," Faie was saying. "I mean, how are the Gorons allowed in the city? I've never even seen a female Goron before!"

"Really?" I asked, my interest piqued. "So they're all male? But—" I leaned down, wrapping my arm around Faie's neck to whisper in her ear, "how do they even reproduce?"

She threw her hands into the air making, exclaiming, "Finally! Someone else who asks the right questions!"

We walked up the clay steps and into the adobe-bricked establishment. An elderly Gerudo woman sat behind the counter, her dark skin tough and wrinkly looking thanks to the harsh desert sun. She stood upon our arrival. "Welcome, dears, to the Noble Canteen. I'm Furosa. May I interest you two in a drink? How about our house favorite, the Noble Pursuit?"

Faie smiled kindly at the woman. She would have to turn the drink down. "We'd love one!" My draw dropped, and she winked at me. "My treat. My friend needs hers laced with wolfsbane."

Furosa smirked. "Ah, a young lycan, I presume?"

"Partially," I corrected, still shooting Faie a glare. "Just enough so that it counts."

The barkeep laughed. "I understand. My granddaughter is half Zora, so the desert is quite inhospitable to her. She can only visit for a few hours or risk drying out. But enough of that kind of talk… two Noble Pursuits coming up. Make yourselves comfortable in the lounge."

Furosa pointed us to the neighboring room. Inside were comfortable couches and cushions, the room swathed in colorful rugs and decorations. A couple of women sat on the couches overlooking the widow that enabled them to look out into the city. Faie and I occupied two giant reclined floor cushions, our drinks brought to us moments later.

The chilled drink in my hand—the container resembled a coconut, but Faie tells me it's called a Palm Fruit—smelled a bit citrusy, various fruits making up the drink. I could faintly smell the trace amount of wolfsbane within the drink. It made me nervous to drink it… but Faie said I would be okay… that it wouldn't kill me. I trusted her judgement.

I took a sip from the straw. An electric feeling zinged through my mouth, my tongue licking the outer rim of my lips moments later, seeking any remnants of the tasty drink. I didn't quite recognize a few of the ingredients in the drink—though they did taste similar to watermelons, dragon fruits, durians, and raspberries—but the ones I did recognize were bananas, lemons, and… was that ginger? I wondered what kind of alcohol they used for the drink. Asking Faie, she guessed "Rum."

I felt a bit guilty enjoying my drink with Nix and Impa in Ganondorf's clutches. I prayed that our time here in the city wasn't being wasted and that I would hear some good info.

Taking another sip of my drink, I let my ears pick out various conversations in the room, not forgetting the real reason we were here. I immediately settled on the group of women by the window… only they weren't talking about any political or government gossip. They were talking about me.

"Did you see her eyes?" one asked the others. "They're so… yellow."

"I know!" another exclaimed. "I mean, sure, a lot of us have yellow eyes, but not that kind of yellow."

The third had her arms crossed, eyebrows pointing down in a scowl. "Those were the eyes of a predator. She's probably feral."

The first blanched, holding her hands up in defense. "Now, I wouldn't go that far. We know plenty of animal shifters and they're all nice."

Third rounded on her friend. "Yes, but they were full-blooded. She's a Halfling, at least."

"What does that have to do with anything? We're all technically Halflings too when you think about it."

"You don't get it, do you?" Second finally spoke up. "When a supernatural with animal traits reproduces with a normal human, only the strongest, most necessary traits are spread to the offspring in assurance to their survival. That means more primal urges like the need for food, water, territory, potential mates are more dominant. This triggers the necessary hormones to get the job done much easier, so things like aggression and fear can be sparked by the smallest of things."

"The most dangerous animal is a scared animal," agreed Third.

"Oh."

I turned back to my drink, taking an even bigger gulp, ignoring the rest of the groups conversation. A lot of what they said made a lot sense both logically and scientifically. Only the most dominant traits were apparent in human children. It would have to be the case for supernatural children as well. My wolf traits coupled with my witch abilities made me very dangerous, but I didn't need a couple of drunks to tell me that.

Speaking of drunks, I could start to feel the effects of the wolfsbane and alcohol taking hold of me. It was a strange and unfamiliar feeling being drunk. I wasn't used to it… wasn't tolerable of it. Against my better judgement, I took another sip of my drink before focusing my attention on a woman doubled over on her table. Tears were dripping down her face, her eyes red and puffy as she sniffled. "I just can't believe it," she cried. "They fired me! I can…can't believe they canned me!"

This sounded interesting. But what exactly was she going on about? I decided to listen more.

"Just because I misplaced a few files in the chief's office, they kick me to the curb like the common rabble! Well," she inhaled deeply, "if Chief Riju wasn't so damn unorganized in the first place! Damn brat…. Damn cheeky brat."

With a quirk of my eyebrow, acknowledging the info I had acquired, I finished off my drink. I hadn't realized I had drank so much of it already. "I just found a lead."

"What did you hear?" Faie asked me, still plenty of her drink left… a little less than half.

"The chief keeps important documents in an office. Her secretary over there just got fired for misplacing some of the documents. There should be something about the prison there in the archives."

"Nice," the girl commented. "If any Gerudo were charged of absolutely heinous crimes, they would have been sent there, and there should be a record of them. That's our in."

Setting my empty drink on a nearby table, I stood, swaying slightly from the alcohol. "Well, should we go get an _audience_?"

Faie sat me down again, slurping her drink down. "Yes, we should. But first, you need to let the alcohol settle, so we'll sit here for a while."

I held my head in my hands, feeling a slight tingling—almost a buzz—behind my eyelids. "Sounds good to me."

Laughing, Faie patted me on the back, rubbing around my shoulders. "Don't worry. Now that you know the werewolf's secret to getting drunk, I'm sure you'll get used to it eventually. Though, I'm unsure of why you're feeling the effects so strongly after just one drink…"

I lifted my hand to Faie's face, my index finger extending. "First real time drinking… and from how I'm starting to feel… probably my last."

"Doubt it."

My eyes closed in a grimace and I slapped a hand to my mouth. "Urk!"

* * *

It only took another hour for me to feel better. I was quite happy that I hadn't vomited up the fruity cocktail in the process. I wasn't fond of the bitter acid that was sure to follow.

Faie and I crept up to the palace, the once crowded streets now empty and quite. It was like the town had been abandoned; it was practically a ghost town. We stuck close to the walls of the buildings, making sure to be covered by the shadows and darkness of light. It was easier said than done with the dozens of torches lining the alleys.

Halting in her tracks, Faie held up a closed fist. She turned to me, motioning over her shoulder. "Two guards at the entrance."

How did we get in with the eastern entrance guarded?

We couldn't go through the north entrance. That's where the guards' training grounds were, and there was no entrance into the palace from the south… only a sand seal stall, whatever those were. And there was no way Faie and I could scale the walls of the palace without risking being seen.

Could there be an entry way from the west?

"Let's head around to the back of the city," I told Faie. "Perhaps there's another entrance to the palace along the back wall."

Faie nodded, though suggested we leave from the sand seal stall entrance. There was only one guard in that area, and it would be easier to leave without her seeing us. So here we were tiptoeing through a sea of sleeping sand seals, trying desperately not to wake them up lest they go barking. I could see the lone guard at the entrance in the wall, her back to us. Past her, I could see a strange man running by the wall, unhindered by the sand. "Bozai," the guard spoke. "As much as I enjoy seeing you search for a way in the city, you're not getting in, and you're starting to get on my nerves. Don't make me spear you."

"Ah," the dark headed man said, pushing his glasses up on his face. "Relax, my dear. Who said I was attempting to enter the city? What if I'm trying to impress you with my… sand sprinting?"

The guard scoffed. "Sand sprinting! Pfft, please. If it weren't for those boots of yours, you'd be sinking into the sand up to your waist."

Faie gasped suddenly. "I know this clown," she realized. Faie smirked at me, a devious glint in her eye. "He's going to help us. Watch this." Approaching the arguing pair, Faie's face twisted into one of mock anger. "Bozai!" she roared.

The Hylian man froze. "A Hylian guard?! What are you doing out this far?!"

Putting her fists on her hips, Faie charged up to the now quivering Bozai. "So… thought you could come out here for some unsolicited flirting, did you? Isn't that what got you in trouble in the first place?"

"You know this man, little vai?" questioned the Gerudo.

"Yes. Bozai here has several restraining orders against him back in Castle Town. Not to mention has been arrested for posing as a scholar in order to seduce women. He's a regular predator."

The Gerudo's eyes narrowed to that of slits. "Is that so?" She faced the man. "We don't need scum like you on this planet. Now, stay still. I'm sure Hyrule would like you as a prisoner in their own lockup."

"N-No…" Bozai whimpered. "Y-You'll never take me—Gah!" The Gerudo had lunged, Bozai narrowly escaping the woman. He took off down the sand dunes, the guard chasing after.

We took our leave, not bothering to watch the chase as we began to walk around the wall. "That was rather brilliant," I commented, "but harsh. Was any of that true?"

"Every word," Faie nodded. "Bozai is a certifiable flirt that hits on any female that even looks at him. We're lucky he hasn't done any real damage yet." A bitter smile formed.

It seemed there were all kinds of people in Hyrule. I was once again astounded at how similar the two worlds—mine and Hyrule—were. My world needed to know of all this. They needed to see the error of their ways.

Sticking close to the wall, our fingers brushing across the dried adobe, we searched for any noticeable gaps that might get us in the palace. "Hey, look there," Faie pointed. Following the end of her finger with my eyes, I found myself looking into a large arched window of sorts, only without the pane and glass. "I think that leads into the throne room," the dragon continued. "Hope there aren't many guards."

Lining myself up under the window, I clasped my hands together and squatted down. "Here," I said. "I'll boost you up." Cupping Faie's foot in my hand, I lifted her up far enough that she could pull herself onto the ledge. She reached down moments later to help pull me up… and right into a fountain. "Really?" I questioned, glaring at her incredulously. She shrugged.

Dismissing her lackadaisical manner, we crept up behind the throne in the room, ducking behind its base. Peeking out around it, I was pleased to see only one guard in the room. She was guarding a strange golden helmet. Gerudo heirloom, I assumed. Motioning for Faie to wait where she was, I crawled to the guard, crouching just behind her. This would be a little difficult with how tall she was, but…

Jumping up and wrapping my legs around her waist, I brought my arm to encircle her neck, my other acting as a brace to the vice I was creating. I pulled tightly on my arms, constricting the flow of hair to the Gerudo. Her fingers clawed at my arms, leaving shallow welts in my skin, strangled noises squeezing their way out of her throat. She dropped to her knees before collapsing fully at last.

Climbing off the amazon of a woman, my shoulder was grabbed roughly and I was spun around. "Are you insane?!" Faie hissed. "Now, they'll know someone was here for sure!"

I pried her hand from my shoulder. "Relax. It's not like she's dead. Now, help me move her behind the throne." I took the top of the Gerudo, Faie grabbing her legs. We positioned her to lean up against the throne, that way she wouldn't be seen at first glance. "Now, we need to find the archives."

It took us all of five minutes to find the archives in an office just off the throne room. Finding the right documents, however, would be much more difficult. The secretary had been right. This office was a disaster zone! How would we ever find anything in here?!

Books and files were strewn everywhere, covering every possible surface in the room! Piles and piles and piles of paper, stacked nearly to the ceiling! Not to mention, from what I could see, there was no clear system of organization. Things were just put around the room haphazardly, no clear place of belonging.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep myself from exploding. "Okay," I breathed. "What exactly are we looking for?"

"Any records that might have the location of the prison. We should start with ones pertaining from the Era of Twilight. That was the last time the prison was seen."

I nodded, delving into a nearby stack of files and documents. "Okay."

We didn't get to search for long. Not even making any real leeway in the mountain of papers, Faie and I were alerted by unexpected voices. My eyes went wide in panic. We had to hide. I dove under the mountain of papers as Faie took to hiding under the desk in the room. Just in time too, for moments later, the door to the room—a simple curtain—was parted. I could distinguish three sets of footsteps. Peering through the gaps in the papers, I saw a Guard,—far more muscular than the others I had seen so far—a smaller Gerudo wearing an intricate headdress, and the Hylian woman from earlier today. What was she doing here?

The small Gerudo turned to the Hylian woman. "I must admit, the story you weave is quite unbelievable," she mentioned. "But I see no reason why you would lie about this of all things, so I'll be happy to help in any way I can. I—"

"Lady Riju," the guard stopped both of the smaller women by placing an arm in their way.

"What is it Buliara?"

Gripping her claymore tightly, the muscular woman proceeded further into the room. "We're not alone."

My breath hitched in my throat and my blood froze. _She knows we're here!_ I panicked internally. I could hear slight whimpers from behind the desk. _Faie. She's going to give herself away!_ Fear wormed its way into my body, my heart beating painfully in my chest. It was so loud! There was no way the people in the room couldn't hear it.

The guard, Buliara, made her way to the desk, beginning to look over the side. In a spur of the moment decision, I bolted from my hiding spot, the papers were sent flying in a flurry, temporarily obscuring my vision. I collided with a hard body and was sent crashing to the floor. I reached out to grab… well, anything to keep me from falling. My fingers snagged what felt like smooth silk and it too, as well as the person it came from, fell with me. I landed on top of them with an _oomph!_

"Ngh, ugh," the person under me groaned in pain.

Pushing myself off them, I looked to see what I had grabbed. It was the veil the Hylian woman had been wearing. Except, with the veil gone, it was clear that this was no Hylian _woman…_ but a man! But not just any man…

I threw myself off the blonde Hylian. "Link?!" My eyes traveled up and down the _male._ It was so painfully obvious now that I knew the truth. While Link was indeed slim, he was just too muscular to be a Hylian female. Although, he did play the part well, and I was quite surprised to see just how graceful he could be. I only had one question left. "You're a crossdresser?!"

"Callisto," Link stated, picking _himself_ up off the floor. "It's about time you got here. You too, Faie. What took so long?"

Faie removed herself from her spot from under the desk. "The real question should be: 'what the hell?!'"

Link shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "I conduct business here every so often. I have to get into the city somehow. Besides Riju and I have been friends for quite some time now, and Dark did say we needed to speak with her."

Rolling her eyes, Faie pushed past Buliara with her arms crossed. "Why am I not surprised? If you were going to come here to talk to the chief, why send Callisto and me here at all?"

"Well, if the locals knew something, I didn't want to bother Riju. And I wanted to make sure you two were safe. And—uh, Callisto?" Link only just noticed my gaping. "Are you okay?"

I cleared my throat, gathering my wits. Payback time. "Yeah, I'm okay," I excused myself. "I just can't help but admire how that outfit suits you, Link. It really is quite lovely on you. Maybe you should quit being a thief and become an exotic dancer or something."

Link sighed. "This is what they call retribution, isn't it?"

I nodded. "Oh, yeah."

"Of course."

What a day.

* * *

 **I did it, guys. Link in the Gerudo vai clothes made an appearance. Soo funny.**

 **Anyway, hope you all enjoyed this long, yet space-y chapter.**

 **Rate and review!**


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